Sediment collecting device
AssigneeMeurer Industries, Inc.
InventorC. Lonnie Meurer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sediment collecting device is provided which includes a collection body positioned adjacent the floor of a liquid-containing vessel. The collection body moves across the vessel floor along a fixed track in a stepping manner. A suction pipe or, alternatively, a scraping mechanism is integrally joined to the collection body for collecting sediment as the collection body is driven. The collection body is capable of reciprocating movement along the track and includes first, second and third body members. When the collection body is driven by means of pressurized fluid applied in a predetermined manner to cylinders fastened to the second body member, at least one body member is moved relative to at least another one of the remaining two body members.
Claims17
A device for removing sediment adjacent a floor of a vessel containing a liquid, comprising:
- first means for removing sediment contained in the vessel;
- second means connected to said first means and positioned adjacent the floor of the vessel and substantially surrounded by the liquid for driving said first means in a stepping manner so that said first means removes the sediment adjacent the floor of the vessel as said first means is driven;
- and
- said stepping manner is defined by the movement of a portion of said second means relative to another portion of said second means.
A device adapted to be moved along a track or cable contained in a vessel for collecting sediment from a vessel floor, comprising:
- a first body member including a slide member positioned on the track, said slide member having an opening to receive a pressure brake line for carrying pressurized fluid, said first body member further including clamping means connected to said pressure brake line;
- a second body member including a slide member positioned on the track, said slide member having an opening to receive a pressure brake line for carrying pressurized fluid, said second body member further including clamping means connected to said pressure brake line;
- a third body member including a slide member positioned on the track, said slide member having an opening to receive a pressure brake line for carrying pressurized fluid, said third body member further including clamping means connected to said pressure brake line;
- a first cylinder having two ends and being fastened to said second body member and a second cylinder having two ends and being fastened to said second body member, each of said first and second cylinders each having a pair of openings adjacent said ends of said first and second cylinders, each of said first and second cylinder openings receiving pressure drive lines for carrying pressurized fluid, said first body member being moved relative to said second body member after pressurized fluid is provided to said second body member clamping means through said pressure brake line thereof and when pressurized fluid is provided through one of said pressure drive lines to said first and second cylinder openings located adjacent said third body member.
A method for moving a sediment collecting device including at least a first body member and a second body member along the floor of a vessel, comprising the steps of:
- a. braking the second body member;
- b. moving the first body member relative to the second body member in a direction away from the second body member;
- c. braking the first body member;
- d. moving the second body member relative to the first body member in a direction towards the first body member;
- e. repeating steps a-d in a first direction for a predetermined time;
- f. braking the first body member;
- g. moving the second body member relative to the first body member in a direction away from the first body member;
- h. braking the second body member;
- i. moving the first body member relative to the second body member in a direction toward the second body member;
- and
- j. repeating steps f-i in a second direction for a predetermined time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.