Installation for carrying out operations on or in a substrate, such as driving or extracting a slim object

Abstract

 An installation for carrying out operations on or in a substrate, such as driving into the substrate or extracting from the substrate a slim object, such as a sheet pile or a pile, comprising a mobile chassis (1), a leader (3) supported on the chassis, an auxiliary device (6) as well as support means (7) for supporting the auxiliary device in such a way that this can move in the longitudinal direction of the leader and can be turned about an axis of rotation essentially parallel to the leader. The support means consist of at least a part of a rotationally symmetrical support that can move in the longitudinal direction of the support and at least partially surrounds the leader, as well a carriage that is supported on the support and can be moved in the peripheral direction over the support and to which the auxiliary device is attached.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an installation for carrying out operations on or in a substrate, such as driving into the substrate or extracting from the substrate a slim object, such as a sheet pile or a pile, comprising a mobile chassis, a leader supported on the chassis, an auxiliary device, support means for supporting the auxiliary device in such a way that this can move in the longitudinal direction of the leader and can be turned with respect to the leader about an axis of rotation essentially parallel to the leader, as well as gripper means for gripping an object and/or equipment to be handled. The auxiliary device can, for example, have a head that can engage on the object for transferring vibrations and/or forces directed downwards or, alternatively, directed upwards.

[0002] Such an installation is disclosed in DE-A 2600173. The support means thereof are constructed as a carriage that can move up and down along the leader. The leader is immovable with respect to the superstructure, whilst the support means have a turning device by means of which, for example, sheet piles can be turned about a vertical axis. This is important because the vibratory device or pressure device used with this in fact has a slot-shaped mouth, which is placed on the upper edge of the sheet pile. If the installation is set up slightly at an angle with respect to the sheet pile, the vibratory device therefore has to be turned accordingly in order to allow the mouth to engage in the correct manner on the sheet pile.

[0003] The disadvantage of the known installation is that the rotatable construction of the leader is technically difficult. The whole construction is rather heavy and furthermore the rotary mounting takes up a large amount of space. As a result of this the leader is at a relatively large distance from the superstructure, which adversely affects the stability. Particularly where there is limited space for manoeuvring the bulky chassis on caterpillar tracks, it is then not easily possible to arrange for the head to engage in the correct manner on the sheet pile. An additional disadvantage is that the sheet piles are turned about their own longitudinal axis, as a result of which the use of such an installation can be difficult. In addition, the sheet piles have to have a limited transverse dimension, because otherwise they collide with the adjacent leader.

[0004] The aim of the invention is therefore to provide an installation of the abovementioned type that does not have these disadvantages. Said aim is achieved in that the gripper means are situated at some distance from the axis of rotation of the support means.

[0005] The support means can consist of at least a part of a rotationally symmetrical support that can move in the longitudinal direction of the leader, as well as a carriage that is supported on the support and can be moved in the peripheral direction over the support and to which the auxiliary device is attached.

[0006] As a result of arranging the support at some distance from the leader, the auxiliary device can be turned through a larger angle. The advantage of this is that the chassis does not have to be positioned as accurately with respect to the place where the sheet piles have to be driven in or, alternatively, have to be extracted, which appreciably extends the possibilities for use of the installation. Moreover much wider sheet piles can be used because the turning of these takes place around the leader.

[0007] The support can be constructed in various ways. It is important that the carriage consists of a part of a rotationally symmetrical body, the curvature of which is matched to the curvature of the support. Furthermore, the dimension in the peripheral direction of the carriage is preferably less than the corresponding dimension of the support. In that case the carriage can be stably supported by the support preferably over the entire turning range. Such stable support is of great importance considering, on the one hand, the large forces to which the construction is subjected and, on the other hand, the powerful vibration load and the like that could lead to fatigue.

[0008] Preferably the curved surfaces of the support and the carriage facing one another are supported with respect to one another by sliding members, such as plastic strips. Furthermore, the support and the carriage can have a partially cylindrical shape and/or a partially conical shape. Preferably the support has two edges situated in parallel planes and facing away from one another at the top and the bottom and the carriage has mounting means engaging around these edges. The carriage can have at least one motor as well as drive means driven by the motor for rotating the carriage with respect to the support.

[0009] The support can have at least one plate oriented transversely to the axis of the support, in which plate the cross-sectional contour of the leader has been cut out. One or more of such plates provide the support with sufficient stiffness against deformation of the rotationally symmetrical surface thereof so that the carriage can function without any interference.

[0010] Although an auxiliary device in the form of a vibratory device is mentioned above, other variants are also conceivable such as a pressure device, drill, pile-driver or combinations thereof.

[0011] The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an illustrative embodiment shown in the figures.

[0012] Figure 1 shows a side view of the installation according to the invention.

[0013] Figure 2 shows a plan view of the leader, the auxiliary device as well as the support means according to the invention.

[0014] Figure 3 shows a cross-section according to III-III in Figure 2.

[0015] Figure 4 shows a plan view of another embodiment of the installation according to the invention.

[0016] Figure 5 shows a larger scale view of the support device as used in the embodiment according to Figure 4.

[0017] The installation according to the invention shown in Figure 1 comprises in the known manner a mobile chassis 1 that consists of a pair of caterpillar tracks 2 as well as a superstructure 25 supported thereon. On the superstructure 25, the leader indicated in its entirety by 3 is supported and stabilised by means of the stays 4. An auxiliary device indicated in its entirety by 6 is supported by a support device 7, which in turn can be slid in the longitudinal direction along the leader by means of a hoisting cable 5. This hoisting cable 5 is run around the cable pulley 24 (see Figure 3) of the support device 7. In the situation shown in Figure 1, the auxiliary device 6 is coupled to a sheet pile 8 that has to be driven into the substrate 9 on which the chassis 1 is positioned. The auxiliary device 6 can exert a pushing or pulling force on the sheet pile 8 as will be explained below.

[0018] In Figures 2 and 3, the leader 3, the support device 7 and the auxiliary device 6 are shown from above. The leader 3 has four columns 10, 11 connected together by the cross-links 12. The auxiliary device 6 is supported, by elongated sliding strips 26, with respect to the leader 3 by the support device 7 so that it can be slid in the longitudinal direction. For this purpose, according to the invention the support device 7 has a support 12 that in the present embodiment is made partially cylindrical and is stabilised by a number of plates 13 situated at some distance from each other in the longitudinal direction. A contour 14 that approximately corresponds to the contour of the leader such as determined by the columns 10, 11 and the cross-links 27 is cut out of these plates 13. The elongated strips 26 are fixed to the plates 13 and provide sliding support on the columns 10, 11.

[0019] The carriage 15 is supported with respect to the support 12 so that it can turn. As shown in Figure 3 the carriage 15 has hooked edges 16, 17 at the top and bottom thereof, which hook over the neighbouring edges of the support 12. The carriage 15 is in particular supported on the sliding strips 18 (in the peripheral direction) and 19 (in the longitudinal direction). The carriage 15 also has four motors 20, each of which interact with the external surface of the support 12 by means of a friction wheel 21. By powering the motors 20, the carriage 15 can be turned into the positions shown in Figure 2 and all intermediate positions.

[0020] The auxiliary device 6 has an intermediate piece 22, a pressure block 23 as well as a mouth 27 that can engage on the top of one or more sheet piles. The intermediate piece 22 can optionally be made as vibratory device.

[0021] As a result of the construction of the support device 7 with a rotationally symmetrical support 12 that largely surrounds the leader 3 and the carriage 15 that can be slid with respect thereto in the peripheral direction, the auxiliary device 6 can be turned through a relatively large angle, in the example shown even 180°. Consequently the installation according to the invention can be used in a flexible manner under conditions in which the space for manoeuvring is limited when handling sheet piles. The leader 3 does not have to be modified in order to obtain the ability for the auxiliary device 6 to turn. Every standard version of the leader is therefore suitable for use of the auxiliary device 6 according to the invention. The advantage of this is that the costs of such a fixed, standard version of the leader are appreciably lower than those of a version that can turn. The stability of a fixed leader is also greater, as explained above.

[0022] In the variant in Figures 4 and 5 it can be seen that the installation according to the invention can approach and handle the sheet piles 8 in all manner of different orientations. The carriage 15 can in this case be turned in a variety of desirable directions of rotation, such that, independently of the orientation of the longitudinal direction of the superstructure 25, the auxiliary device can nevertheless still be oriented in the correct manner with respect to the sheet piles 8 concerned. It can also be seen that sheet piles, or panels of sheet piles, with an appreciable width can be used. The auxiliary device 6 can also have a fairly large width, without this colliding with the leader when being turned.

Claims

1. Installation for carrying out operations on or in a substrate, such as driving into the substrate (9) or extracting from the substrate a slim object, such as a sheet pile (8) or a pile, comprising a mobile chassis (1), a leader (3) supported on the chassis (1), an auxiliary device (6), support means (7) for supporting the auxiliary device (6) in such a way that this can move in the longitudinal direction of the leader and can be turned with respect to the leader (3) about an axis of rotation essentially parallel to the leader (3), as well as gripper means (27) for gripping an object and/or equipment to be handled, characterised in that the gripper means (27) are situated at some distance from the axis of rotation of the support means (7).

2. Installation according to Claim 1, wherein the support means (7) consist of at least a part of a rotationally symmetrical support (12) that can move in the longitudinal direction of the leader (3), as well as a carriage (15) that is supported on the support (12) and can be moved in the peripheral direction over the support (12) and to which the auxiliary device (6) is attached.

3. Installation according to Claim 2, wherein the carriage (15) consists of a part of a rotationally symmetrical body, the curvature of which is matched to the curvature of the support (12).

4. Installation according to Claim 3, wherein the dimension in the peripheral direction of the carriage (15) is less than the corresponding dimension of the support (12).

5. Installation according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the curved surfaces of the support (12) and the carriage (15) facing one another are supported with respect to one another by sliding members (18, 19).

6. Installation according to Claim 5, wherein the sliding members comprise sliding strips (18, 19).

7. Installation according to one of Claims 3 - 6, wherein the support (12) and the carriage (15) have a partially cylindrical shape.

8. Installation according to one of Claims 3-7, wherein the support and the carriage have an at least partially conical shape.

9. Installation according to Claim 8, wherein the support and the carriage have a double conical shape, comprising in each case two cones, the bases of which face one another.

10. Installation according one of Claims 3 - 9 wherein the support and the carriage are dished-shaped.

11. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (12) has two edges situated in parallel planes and facing away from one another at the top and the bottom and the carriage (15) has suspension means (16, 17) engaging around these edges.

12. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the carriage (15) has at least one motor (20) as well as drive means (21) driven by the motor (20) for rotating the carriage (15) with respect to the support (12).

13. Installation according to Claim 12, wherein the motor (20) has a wheel (21) that engages on the support (12).

14. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (12) has guides (26) for guiding the support along the leader (3) in the longitudinal direction.

15. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (12) is suspended so that it can be moved up and down by means of a hoisting device (5, 24).

16. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (12) has at least one disc (24) for moving the support (12) along the leader (13) by means of a winch cable.

17. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the auxiliary device (6) has a mouth (27) that can engage on the object for transferring vibrations and forces directed downwards or, alternatively, directed upwards.

18. Installation according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support (12) has at least one plate (13) oriented transversely to the axis of the support (12), in which plate the cross-sectional contour (14) of the leader (13) has been cut out.

Drawing