Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a technical field of a wire type excavating accuracy
control device for accurately assessing the specified lap amounts between piles in
soil columns by forcibly correcting or controlling the tip position of an excavating
and agitating blade shaft of a soil improving machine used for constructing lapped
type piles in soil columns, in real time, at the construction site for purposes of
building earth-retaining walls, foundation work for civil engineering and construction,
construction for preventing the liquefaction of soil, building cut-off walls and the
like.
Background Art
[0002] Various kinds of soil improving construction have conventionally been performed using
a soil improving machine, as shown in FIG. 1, for example. According to this machine,
by means of a digging drive 2 that is suspended on the top sheave 5 of a leader 1
that is moved vertically along a rail 3, a drive shaft 4 suspended directly thereunder
is driven by rotation and propelled perpendicularly downward at the same time. The
drive shaft 4 has a lower end connected to an excavating and agitating blade shaft
6 provided with a tip-end cutter 7 and a plurality of agitating blades 8 above and
below. When the excavating and agitating blade shaft 6 is propelled to dig or pulled
up while being rotated at the same time, the excavation soil and the stabilizer are
agitated, and mixed to form piles in soil columns, each having a diameter of about
one meter. In the case of lapped type piles in soil columns, the soil improvement
is carried out wherein two adjacent piles are lapped over each other by a lap length
(also referred to as a lap width) of about 20 cm so as to be integrally continuous,.
In order to secure the perpendicular plumbing accuracy of the drive shaft 4, steady
braces are provided 37, 38 for the drive shaft in the lower and middle portions of
the leader 1. Each of the steady braces 37, 38 also vertically moves along the rail
3.
[0003] In various kinds of soil improving construction using a soil improving machine, when
there is not enough lap length between two adjacent piles in the soil columns (improving
piles) or when the piles are not lapped at all, the integrality (continuity) of the
improving piles is diminished, thereby resulting in poor construction causing a reduction
in structural strength and rigidity of the improved soil, unsatisfactory water cut-off
ability, etc.
[0004] In view of the aforementioned, a variety of excavating accuracy control methods and
devices has been studied as measures to surely assure the specified lapped amounts
between the piles in soil columns. This relates to a technology of position-correcting
the tip position of the excavating and agitating blade shaft in real time at the construction
site. Conventional technologies in this field include the following inventions.
(1) An invention called "method and device for controlling excavating accuracy of
a multishaft soil column row excavating machine" that is disclosed in Japanese Patent
No. 2736471 (filed on June 8, 1990; Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. H4(1992)-44592)
has a configuration in which the upper and lower portions of an excavating shaft are
coupled by a plurality of wires, and a moving amount of each wire is controlled by
using the hydraulic control device.
(2) According to the invention called "construction control method of lap length between
soil columns" that is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3156049 (filed on November
27, 1998, Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-160549), a three-dimensional
gyro sensor for measuring the tip position of an excavating and agitating blade shaft
is installed near the upper portion of the excavating and agitating blade shaft. A
global positioning system for measuring self-location through the use of a so-called
GPS is also installed. If the measurement means measures the curving tendency of the
excavating and agitating blade shaft when the lapped-type piles in soil columns are
constructed, a tip-end excavation cutter is reversed to implement position correction.
During the construction of an adjacent pile of soil column lapped over the one previously
constructed, the actual lap length is understood and controlled based on the horizontal
distance and horizontal sectional shape of the previous and subsequent construction
records (construction loci). This invention relates to a method and a soil improving
apparatus for carrying out position correction by reversing the tip-end excavation
cutter if an error in the lap length, curving tendency or the like are found.
(3) The invention called "soil improving construction method and device" that is disclosed
in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-254388 (filed on March 14, 2000)
has a configuration in which a joint portion between the drive shaft and the excavating
and agitating blade shaft of the soil improving machine is formed into an adjustable
joint that is capable of transmitting the running torque, and it is possible to correct
the position of an excavating and agitating blade shaft by means of at least three
hydraulic cylinders. The invention is so configured that the excavating direction
can be corrected during measurement by way of a measurement means using a three-dimensional
gyro sensor.
(4) The invention called "lower connection band for an agitating excavating shaft"
that is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-146771 (filed
on November 15, 2000) has an adjustable structure in which bearings of the lower connection
band, (referred to by numeral 9 in FIG. 1), for securing the distance between a plurality
of excavating and agitating blade shafts are coupled to one another with horizontal
pins so as to be deformable for the purpose of facilitating directional control on
the excavating and agitating blade shafts in the lateral direction.
(5) The invention called "excavating accuracy control method" that is disclosed in
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-167749 (filed on December 4, 2000)
is a wire-type control method. Although the invention "method for controlling excavating
accuracy of a multishaft soil column row excavating machine" disclosed in the above-mentioned
document (1), namely Japanese Patent No. 2736471, is simply capable of implementing
directional control on the excavating and agitating blade shaft in the anteroposterior
direction (lateral direction in FIG. 1), the subject invention additionally enables
control in the lateral direction (perpendicular direction, facing into FIG. 1), which
improves accuracy.
[0005] When the construction of the lapped-type piles in soil columns is carried out by
means of the soil improving machine, as a measure to prevent poor construction in
which there is insufficient lap length or no lap between piles in soil columns, it
has been common to perform construction with an extra lap length that is greater than
the lap length required by design. This increases the volume of soil improvement along
a reduction in the pitch of the soil improving piles, which is inefficient and uneconomical.
[0006] Considering the above problem, the improvement technologies as seen in documents
(1) through (5) have been studied. These technologies, however, cannot be said to
have achieved enough to resolve the related problems.
[0007] To be concrete, although the control method described in document (1) is configured
to control the movement amount of the wires by using a hydraulic control device, a
critical control targeted value is determined by an indirect measurement method based
on the movement amount of the wires. Thus, there is some doubt as to whether it is
possible to attain a control result corresponding to an error of the tip position
of the excavating shaft.
[0008] The construction control method stated in document (2) is innovative in that the
three-dimensional gyro sensor is employed, and that the actual lap length is understood
and controlled in real time by means of the global positioning system for measuring
the self-location through the use of the GPS. As means for position correction, however,
the position correction is carried out simply by reversing the tip-end excavation
cutter. Consequently, the invention has the drawback of being difficult with respect
to providing a prompt and reliable response.
[0009] The soil improving construction method described in document (3) has greater possibility
of a prompt and reliable response, compared to the above-described two inventions,
in that the measurement is carried out by a measurement means using a three-dimensional
gyro sensor, and that the joint portion between the drive shaft and the excavating
and agitating blade shaft of the soil improving machine is formed into an adjustable
joint capable of transmitting the running torque to enable the position correction
of the excavating and agitating blade shaft by using at least three hydraulic cylinders.
Because of the configuration in which delicate machine parts (adjustable joint, hydraulic
cylinders, etc.) are propelled deep into the excavation soil, however, there are problems
securing durability, maintenance and inspection.
[0010] The usefulness of the lower connection band mentioned in document (4) can be fully
recognized. On the other hand, an excavating accuracy control method in which the
band is well applied has not yet been accomplished.
[0011] The excavating accuracy control method disclosed in document (5) is noteworthy in
that it is a wire type control method. However, the relevance to the technology of
position measurement of the excavating and agitating blade shaft is obscure.
[0012] As is apparent from the examination and consideration of each invention as stated
above, conventional technologies each have their own characteristics. On the other
hand, they lack technological substance sufficient to be immediately practicable in
the field through totalization of a comprehensive system.
[0013] An object of the present invention consists in providing a wire type excavating accuracy
control device for a soil improving machine, which incorporates the technology for
detecting the tip position of the excavating and agitating blade shaft by means of
a three-dimensional gyro sensor described in document (2) while making use of the
advantages of a wire type excavating accuracy control method, thereby being capable
of detecting a position (locus) of an improving pile previously constructed and subsequently
a tip position of an excavating shaft of an improving pile to be lapped thereover,
in real time, and in the event that the positions show a tendency to deviate from
planned positions during construction, performing immediate directional correction
of the tip position under precise and responsive control, implementing real-time position
correction at the construction, securing required or appropriate lapped amounts and
controlling plumbing accuracy.
[0014] Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire type excavating accuracy
control device for a soil improving machine that makes it possible to accurately secure
specified lapped amounts between piles in soil columns without difficulty, to carry
out efficient construction with lap length required by design, and to perform construction
with proper pitch of soil improving piles, to thereby realize efficient and economical
soil improving construction.
Disclosure of the Invention
[0015] To accomplish the above object, a wire type excavating accuracy control device in
a soil improving machine according to the invention claimed in claim 1, consists of
a plurality of wires or the like 12 arranged around a drive shaft 4 and coupled between
hydraulic cylinders 10 suspended under a digging drive 2 for rotating-driving the
drive shaft 4 of the soil improving machine to propel the drive shaft 4 along a leader
1 perpendicularly downward and a bearing member 11 disposed in a portion directly
above an excavating and agitating blade shaft 6 connected to a lower end of the drive
shaft 4, and corrects and controls the tip position of the excavating and agitating
blade shaft 6 by pulling the wires or the like 12 individually by means of the hydraulic
cylinders 10. The wire type excavating accuracy control device comprises a three-dimensional
gyro sensor device that is located near the bearing member 11 and detects the tip
position of the excavating and agitating blade shaft 6, a construction control device
22 into which measurement signals for the tip position of the excavating and agitating
blade shaft 6, measured by the three-dimensional gyro sensor device, are inputted,
and a hydraulic control circuit of the hydraulic cylinder 10 controlled by control
signals calculated and processed by the construction control device 22 on the basis
of the measurement signals, and is characterized in that the hydraulic cylinders 10
are individually controlled to pull the respective wires or the like 12, to thereby
forcibly correct and control the tip position of the excavating and agitating blade
shaft 6.
[0016] The invention claimed in claim 2 is the wire type excavating accuracy control device
of a soil improving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive
shaft 4 is configured as a multi-connecting shaft obtained by successively jointing
a plurality of unit shafts, and that a curve is generated in the drive shaft 4 through
the use of allowance of a shaft coupling 40 of each joint portion, to thereby make
it possible to forcibly correct and control the tip position of the excavating and
agitating blade shaft 6.
[0017] The invention claimed in claim 3 is the wire type excavating accuracy control device
of a soil improving machine according to either one of claims 1 and 2, characterized
in that the bearing member 11 for maintaining constant center distance between drive
shafts 4 in a multishaft soil improving machine using a plurality of drive shafts
4 is configured in a pin-joint structure in which bearings for respective drive shafts
4 are roller bearings 11a and are movably jointed with a horizontal pin 11d so as
to allow deformation between the bearings in between the adjacent drive shafts 4,
and that the plurality of wires or the like 12 that are symmetrically provided to
each bearing 11a have lower ends connected to respective brackets 15 protruding from
the bearing member 11 in a lateral direction.
[0018] The invention claimed in claim 4 is the wire type excavating accuracy control device
of a soil improving machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the hydraulic
control circuit of the hydraulic cylinder 10 comprises a high pressure control circuit
30 and a low pressure control circuit 31 juxtaposed with each other, supplies high-pressure
oil from the high pressure control circuit 30 to the hydraulic cylinder 10 to pull
the wires or the like 12, and supplies low-pressure oil from the low pressure control
circuit 31 to pull in the slack of the wires or the like 12.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0019]
FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a soil improving machine according to the present invention;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are front and side views, on an enlarged scale, showing a digging
drive and the periphery thereof;
FIG. 3 is a front view, on an enlarged scale, showing a bearing member located under
a drive shaft and a periphery thereof;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the bearing member, viewed in a planar direction;
FIG. 5 is a view showing a control circuit of a hydraulic cylinder; and
FIGS. 6A and 6B are explanatory views showing diagrammatically a configuration and
curving state of the drive shaft.
Best Mode of Carrying out the Invention
[0020] An embodiment of a wire type excavating accuracy control device of a soil improving
machine according to the invention claimed in claims 1 through 4 will be explained
below with reference to FIGS. 1 through 6.
[0021] As stated above, a soil improving machine of FIG. 1 comprises a wire type excavating
accuracy control device, including a plurality of wires 12 (PC steel rods, PC steel
wires or the like may be utilized instead, and hereinafter, they are generically referred
to as "wires or the like"), arranged around a drive shaft 4 and coupled between hydraulic
cylinders 10 suspended under a digging drive 2 for rotating-driving the drive shaft
4 to propel the drive shaft 4 along a rail 3 of a leader 1 perpendicularly downward,
and a bearing member 11 disposed in a portion directly above an excavating and agitating
blade shaft 6 connected to a lower end of the drive shaft 4, to thereby forcibly correct
and control a tip position of the excavating and agitating blade shaft 6 by pulling
the wires 12 individually by means of the hydraulic cylinders 10.
[0022] As is clear from FIGS. 2A and 2B showing a digging drive 2 on an enlarged scale,
this is an embodiment of a two-axis soil improving machine. A locational relation
between two excavating and agitating blade shafts 6, 6 connected to lower ends of
two drive shafts 4, 4 and the plurality of wires 12 ... is as exemplified in FIGS.
3 and 4 showing an arrangement in which a total of 6 wires 12 ... encircle the two
drive shafts 4, 4.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a configuration in which upper ends of the six wires 12 ... are connected
to output shafts of the hydraulic cylinders 10 through coupling members 13 of a pin-joint
type so as to link one wire with one cylinder. The body of each hydraulic cylinder
10 has an upper end portion that is freely coupled to a bracket prepared in a lower
base portion of the digging drive 2 also through a pin joint 14.
[0024] The six wires 12 ... have lower ends joined to respective brackets 15 protruding
from the bearing member 11 in a lateral direction such that length thereof can be
adjusted by respective screw-operated coupling members 16, as illustrated in FIG.
3 on an enlarged scale. The coupling members 16 are covered with respective protection
covers 17 for fear that they will be defaced by earth and sand. The length of each
wire 12 is adjusted such that the bearing member 11 retains a level posture in a state
where the hydraulic cylinders 10 are beforehand extended at maximum stroke.
[0025] Applied as bearings in the bearing member 11 maintaining the two drive shafts 4,
4 at a constant center distance are roller bearings 11a, which rotatably support the
drive shafts 4 with low friction. The roller bearings 11a possesses an advantage of
having sufficient rigidity to forcibly correct the tip position of the excavating
and agitating blade shaft 6 by pulling the bearing member 11 through the wire control.
A concrete configuration of the roller bearings 11a, which is preferably employed,
is one in which the drive shafts 4 are rotatably supported by roller bearings of an
angular type, as shown in FIG. 5 of Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-234527,
or the like.
[0026] Because of the configuration, which easily allows lateral deformation between the
adjacent drive shafts 4, 4 while maintaining not only the two drive shafts 4, 4 but
also the two excavating and agitating blade shafts 6, 6 at the constant center distance,
the two roller bearings 11a are movably constructed as a pin-joint structure in which
brackets 11b extending in parallel from outer surfaces thereof in a lateral direction
and both ends of a hinge member 11c located at a middle position are put together,
thereby being coupled to each other by piercing two pins 11d therethrough in the lateral
direction.
[0027] The lower ends of the six wires 12 ... are, as illustrated in FIG. 4, joined to their
respective brackets 15 arranged at regular intervals in positions located in three
right-angled directions, the positions being included in a semicircle that is approximately
half of the outer side of each of the two roller bearings 11a, 11a, so that a moment
operates with lateral arms protruded, (the aforementioned is the invention claimed
in claim 3).
[0028] Therefore, depending on which of the six wires 12 ... are pulled hard by the hydraulic
cylinders 10, the tip positions of not only the two drive shafts 4, 4, but the two
excavating and agitating blade shafts 6, 6 as well, can be forcibly and accurately
corrected and controlled without difficulty in either an anteroposterior direction
(the Y direction in FIG. 4) or lateral direction (the X direction in FIG. 4).
[0029] As a real-time measurement means for the tip positions of not only the two drive
shafts 4, 4, but the two excavating and agitating blade shafts 6, 6, a three-dimensional
gyro sensor device is installed in a sensor case 20 located near the bearing member
11, as more specifically shown in FIG. 3, halfway between the two drive shafts 4,
4, by being fixed onto the outer surface of the right bearing 11a, facing into the
drawing, the device being composed by combining a clinometer of X, Y two-dimensional
directions and a gyro sensor, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 3156049,
although a detailed illustration is omitted.
[0030] With the three-dimensional gyro sensor device, during the constructing process of
the soil improving construction using the soil improving machine, the tip position
of the excavating and agitating blade shaft 6 is accurately detected in real time.
Furthermore, a locus and horizontal cross sectional shape of the constructed piles
in soil columns are stored as data. Measurement signals according to the three-dimensional
gyro sensor device are transmitted to an above-ground construction control device
22 (FIG. 5) through signal wires in a signal wire protection pipe 21 connected to
the sensor case 20.
[0031] FIG. 5 shows a hydraulic control circuit for automatically controlling the hydraulic
cylinder 10 in real time, based on a measurement value of the three-dimensional gyro
sensor device. The circuit has a configuration in which a high-pressure control circuit
30 and a low-pressure control circuit 31 juxtaposed with each other are provided to
one hydraulic cylinder 10, and the wire 12 is pulled by way of the high-pressure control
circuit 30.
[0032] When measurement signals 23 measured by the three-dimensional gyro sensor device
located in the underground sensor case are inputted into the construction control
device 22 (which is a common personal computer), the signals 23 are subjected to comparative
calculation with pressure signals 25 inputted from a pressure converter 24 that is
attached to each hydraulic cylinder 10. The result of the comparative calculation
is sent to an operating panel 27 for a hydraulic cylinder, and is simultaneously displayed
on the screen of a monitor 26 for an operator in real time.
[0033] In the operating panel 27 for a hydraulic cylinder, based on the result of the comparative
calculation, control signals with respect to the high pressure control circuits 30
and the low pressure control circuits 31 of the six hydraulic cylinders 10 ... are
generated and transmitted. In other words, an electromagnetic relief valve 32, a shut-off
valve 33 and an electromagnetic switch valve 34 of the high pressure control circuit
30 and an electromagnetic switch valve 35 of the low pressure control circuit 31 are
each controlled.
[0034] For instance, when the wire 12 is pulled by the hydraulic cylinder 10, the high pressure
control circuit 30 is opened up to supply high-pressure oil into a piston lower chamber
of the hydraulic cylinder 10, to thereby cause contraction, in a state where the shut-off
valve 33 is free. To create a retention state, the shut-off valve 33 is closed to
maintain a constant stroke of the hydraulic cylinder 10 even if an external force
is applied thereto. To create a neutral state in which the slack of the wire 12 is
taken up, the low pressure control circuit 31 is opened up with the shut-off valve
33 made free to supply low-pressure oil into the piston lower chamber of the hydraulic
cylinder 10, to thereby retain a state of tension by pulling gently so as not to slacken
the wire 12, (the invention claimed in claim 4).
[0035] In effect, in FIG. 4, if the wires 12 denoted by "a" and "b" or "e" and "d" are pulled
by the corresponding hydraulic cylinders 10, it is possible to make a position correction
in the anteroposterior direction. Pulling the wires 12 represented by "b," "c" and
"d" or "a," "f" and "e" allows a position correction in the lateral (right and left)
direction. At that time, the hydraulic cylinders 10 of the other wires 12 are kept
in a retention state to be applied with a reactive force for the position correction.
Additionally, through a variety of combinations, it is possible to forcibly and quickly
implement the control required for the position correction of the tip positions of
not only the two drive shafts 4, 4, but the two excavating and agitating blade shafts
6, 6 as well, with accuracy.
[0036] In the event the tip position of the excavating and agitating blade shaft 6 is out
of or likely to be out of a planned position, (position of specified lap length),
immediate correction and control are carried out to bring the tip position to the
planned position by way of the hydraulic cylinders 10 and the wires 12. Consequently,
it is not necessary to perform the construction with extra lap length ready beforehand.
[0037] The position correction of the tip positions of not only the two drive shafts 4,
4, but the two excavating and agitating blade shafts 6, 6, is controlled by pulling
the wires 12 individually by means of the hydraulic cylinders 10. However, adjustment
of the pulling force (amount of hydraulic pressure supplied to the hydraulic cylinders
10) varies depending on conditions, such as texture and property of excavation soil,
greatness of lap length of the piles in soil columns, etc. Therefore, preferably,
test construction is first carried out to collect information necessary for practice,
and the construction is carried out after determining the amount of the controllable
pulling force and that of the hydraulic pressure, based on such information.
[0038] Along with the progress of the soil improving construction, various data required
for the construction control of the piles in soil columns are collected, as disclosed
in Japanese Patent No. 3156049, and an analyzed value is inputted and stored in the
construction control device 22, to thereby calculate the pulling force required for
the correction and control of positions. Then, preferably, after the result is checked
with the position detection data and plan to be reflected in automatic hydraulic control,
a step for providing feedback of the result to the tip position control is repeated.
[0039] At the time of lateral position correction that pulls the wires 12 denoted by "b,"
"c" and "d" or "a," "f" and "e," as illustrated in FIG. 3, the pin-joint structure,
in which the two roller bearings 11a, 11a as bearing components of the bearing member
11 are coupled with the pins 11d, makes it possible to carry out the position correction
with high response without generating useless resistance.
[0040] As a device for enabling position correction with superior response, the drive shaft
4 of the soil improving machine according to the present invention is constructed
as a multi-connecting shaft obtained by continuously joining a plurality of unit shafts
to one another with the shaft couplings 40 as illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Through
the use of allowance produced in the shaft coupling 40 of each joint portion, a curve
is smoothly made in the drive shaft 4 as far as the location of the bearing member
11, to thereby make it possible to forcibly correct the tip position of the excavating
and agitating blade shaft 6, (the invention claimed in claim 2).
[0041] There is a wide variety of unit shafts of the excavating shaft 4, including general
shafts with a length falling in a range of from 5 m to 10 m, and adjustment shafts
from 1 m to 4 m. Allowance of the shaft coupling 40 is usually about 2.6 × 10
-2 rad. when the coupling is brand-new, and gradually grows according to the frequency
of usage. For this reason, if the number of the shaft couplings 40 is properly designed,
the flexible drive shaft 4 can be obtained without difficulty, and the position correction
then becomes simple, thereby being much more advantageous than a single-operating
drive shaft in terms of control. There is no fear of adverse effects of such allowance
since applying a proper pulling force to the drive shaft 4 in a balanced manner using
the wire 12 has the effect of improving rigidity of the drive shaft 4.
[0042] As illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the wires 12 are pulled to create a curve
in the drive shaft 4 and to correct and control the tip position of the excavating
and agitating blade shaft 6, a fixing point of the drive shaft 4 is a lower steady
brace 37. Therefore, it is desirable that the lower steady brace 37 be embodied in
a configuration in which a roller type guide mechanism using a roller for rotatably
supporting the drive shaft 4 is employed, for instance as illustrated in FIG. 2A of
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-234527, for example. A middle steady
brace 38 is also configured in the same manner.
Industrial Applicability
[0043] The wire type excavating accuracy control device of a soil improving machine according
to the invention claimed in claims 1 through 4 is capable of measuring the tip position
of the excavating and agitating blade shaft by using a three-dimensional gyro sensor
device, detecting the locus of the improving pile previously constructed and subsequently
the tip position of the excavating shaft of the improving pile to be lapped over,
in real time, to make comparative calculation, and in the event the tendency to deviate
from the planned position is observed, capable of accurately making immediate directional
correction of the tip position under highly responsive control, thereby carrying out
control of plumbing accuracy for securing the exact lapped amounts required at the
construction site.
[0044] As a consequence, the present invention makes it possible to perform easily construction
in which the specified lapped amounts between piles in soil columns are secured with
accuracy. This enables efficient construction with the lap length required by design.
As a result, it is possible to make the pitch of the soil improving piles proper,
to thereby perform efficient and economical soil improving construction.