Hand operated suction dredge head and hydraulic submersible pump assembly

A portable, lightweight, hand operated dredge head for underwater excavating, comprising, a tubular suction nozzle having a lower inlet end, a tubular discharge branch extending from said nozzle and having a discharge end for connection to a suction pipe for conveying excavated material away from said head,

• swivel coupling means between said discharge end of said branch and said suction pipe whereby said head can be rotationally swivelled relative to said suction pipe and quickly detachably connected thereto,
• handle means on said tubular discharge branch whereby an operator can firmly grasp said head and swivel it about said swivel coupling and otherwise manipulate said head, said handle means being tubular and placing said discharge branch in fluid communication with the interior of said swivel coupling whereby dirty water is sucked from said swivel coupling and discharged into said discharge branch to thereby keep said coupling free of foreign material,
• and a hand operated valve pivotally mounted in resilient bushings in said nozzle, spring means biasing said valve for preventing chatter of said valve, an operator's handle secured to said valve and extending from said nozzle for moving said valve to any adjusted position between a closed position and an open position and for thereby varying the amount of water introduced through said valve and into said nozzle to thereby vary the suction at said lower inlet end of said nozzle and regulating and digging aggressiveness of the dredge head.

A portable, lightweight, hand operated dredge head for underwater excavating, comprising, a tubular suction nozzle having a lower inlet end and an upper end, means on the lower inlet end of said nozzle for restricting movement of trash into said nozzle, a tubular discharge branch extending from said nozzle intermediate its length and in fluid communication therewith and having a discharge end for connection to a suction pipe for conveying excavated material away from said head, swivel coupling means between said discharge end of said branch and said suction pipe whereby said head can be rotationally swivelled relative to said suction pipe and quickly detachably connected thereto, handle means on said tubular discharge branch whereby an operator can firmly grasp said head and swivel it about said swivel coupling and otherwise manipulate said head, said handle means being tubular and placing said discharge branch in fluid communication with said swivel coupling whereby dirty fluid is flushed from said swivel coupling and discharged into said discharge branch to thereby prevent accumulation of sand and the like in said coupling, a hand operated valve pivotally mounted in bushings in said nozzle adjacent its said upper end, resilient means biasing said valve for preventing said valve from chattering, an operator's handle fixed with said valve and extending from said nozzle and for moving said valve to any adjusted position between a closed position and an open position and for varying the amount of water introduced through said upper end into said nozzle to thereby (1) vary the suction at said lower inlet end of said nozzle and permit removal of trash from said trash restriction means, (2) regulate the digging action of said dredge head and (3) vary the sludge/water ratio being discharged from said dredge head.

A dredging system including,

• a power source, a pressure fluid pump connected to and driven by said power source, a source of fluid for said fluid pump,
• a hydraulically driven submerged pump including a housing having a suction inlet and having a discharged outlet, a suction conduit extending from said suction inlet, an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing, a fluid motor connected to said impeller for rotatably driving said impeller,
• a pair of fluid conduits connected between said fluid pump and said motor whereby said fluid pump delivers pressure fluid to said motor for driving said impeller and returns fluid to said source of fluid,
• a hand operated dredge head for underwater use and comprising a tubular suction nozzle having a lower inlet end, said nozzle having a discharge end connected to said suction conduit, and a hand operated valve pivotally mounted in said head for moving to any adjusted position between a closed position and an open position and for thereby varying the amount of water introduced through said valve to thereby vary the suction at said lower inlet end of said nozzle, whereby said impeller of said submerged pump causes excavated material to be conveyed from said dredge head and delivered to a location remote from said dredge head.

A dredging system including,

• a power source, a pressure fluid pump connected to and driven by said power source, a source of fluid for said fluid pump,
• a hydraulically driven submerged pump including a housing having a suction inlet and having a discharge outlet, a suction conduit extending from said suction inlet, an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing, a fluid motor connected to said impeller for rotatably driving said impeller,
• a pair of fluid conduits connected between said fluid pump and said motor whereby said fluid pump delivers pressure fluid to said motor for driving said impeller and returns fluid to said source of fluid,
• a portable hand operated dredge head for underwater use and comprising a tubular suction nozzle having a lower inlet end, a tubular discharge branch extending from said nozzle and having a discharge end for connection to said suction conduit, swivel coupling means between said discharge end of said branch and said suction conduit whereby said head can be rotationally swivelled relative to said suction conduit and quickly detachably connected thereto, and a hand operated valve pivotally mounted in said nozzle, an operator's handle secured to said valve and extending from said nozzle for moving said valve to any adjusted position between a closed position and an open position and for thereby varying the amount of water introduced through said valve and into said nozzle to thereby vary the suction at said lower inlet end of said nozzle, whereby said impeller of said submerged pump conveys excavated material from said dredge head and delivers it to a location remote from said dredge head, said submerged hydraulic pump requiring no pump priming.

A dredging system including,

• an internal combustion engine, a hydraulic circuit, a pressure fluid pump in said circuit and connected to and driven by said engine, a source of fluid in said circuit for said fluid pump,
• a hydraulically driven submerged pump including a housing having a suction inlet and having a discharge outlet, a suction conduit extending from said suction inlet, an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing, a fluid motor connected to said impeller for rotatably driving said impeller,
• a pair of fluid conduits in said circuit and connected between said fluid pump and said fluid motor whereby said fluid pump delivers pressure fluid to said motor for driving said impeller and returns fluid to said source of fluid,
• a hand operated dredge head for underwater use and comprising a tubular suction nozzle having a lower inlet end, said nozzle having a discharge end connected to said suction conduit, coupling means between said discharge end of said nozzle and said suction conduit, and a hand operated valve pivotally mounted in said head for moving to any adjusted position between a closed position and an open position and for thereby varying the amount of water introduced through said valve to thereby vary the suction at said lower inlet end of said nozzle, whereby said impeller of said submerged pump causes excavated material to be conveyed from said dredge head and deliver it to a location remote from said dredge head.

A portable, lightweight, hand operated dredge head for underwater excavating, comprising, a tubular suction nozzle having a lower inlet end and an upper end, means on the lower inlet end of said nozzle for restricting movement of trash into said nozzle, a tubular discharge branch extending from said nozzle intermediate its length and in fluid communication therewith and having a discharge end for connection to a suction pipe for conveying excavated material away from said head, coupling means between said discharge end of said branch and said suction pipe whereby said head can be moved relative to said suction pipe and quickly detachably connected thereto, a hand operated valve pivotally mounted in said nozzle adjacent its said upper end, an operator's handle fixed with said valve to any adjusted position between a closed position and an open position and for varying the amount of water introduced through said upper end into said nozzle to thereby vary the suction at said lower inlet end of said nozzle to permit removal of trash from said trash restriction means and regulate the digging aggressiveness of the dredge head, and handle means on said tubular discharge branch whereby an operator can firmly grasp said head and move it about said coupling and otherwise manipulate said head, said handle means being tubular and placing the interior of said head in fluid communication with said coupling whereby dirty fluid is flushed from said coupling to thereby prevent accumulation of sand and the like in said coupling.

A dredging system including,

• a power source, a pressure fluid pump connected to and driven by said power source, a source of fluid for said fluid pump,
• a hydraulically driven submerged pump including a housing having a suction inlet and having a discharge outlet, a suction conduit extending from said suction inlet, an impeller rotatably mounted in said housing, a fluid motor connected to said impeller for rotatably driving said impeller,
• a pair of fluid conduits connected between said fluid pump and said motor whereby said fluid pump delivers pressure fluid to said motor for driving said impeller and returns fluid to said source of fluid,
• a hand-operated dredge head for underwater use and comprising a tubular suction nozzle having a lower inlet end, said nozzle having a discharge end connected to said suction conduit, and a hand operated valve pivotally mounted in said head for moving to any adjusted position between a closed position and an open position and for thereby varying the amount of water introduced through said valve to thereby vary the suction at said lower inlet end of said nozzle, whereby said impeller of said submerged pump causes excavated material to be conveyed from said dredge head and delivered to a location remote from said dredge head,
• handle means on said tubular discharge branch whereby an operator can firmly grasp said head and swivel it about said swivel coupling and otherwise manipulate said head, said handle means being tubular and placing the interior of said head in fluid communication with said coupling whereby dirty water is flushed from said coupling to thereby keep said coupling free of foreign material.