Excavation device

Abstract

Provided is an excavation device in which movement and direction change of an excavator body in a narrow place can be facilitated while the device configuration is simplified, by enabling a part of a slide rail overhanging from the excavator body to be folded toward the excavator body and stored. The present invention comprises an excavator body (2) provided with a tubing part (8) that rotationally presses a casing tube (7) into the ground, and a slide rail (3) that is disposed above the excavator body and horizontally moves a hammer grab (10) for recovering crushed matter in the casing tube, the slide rail being constituted of a fixed rail (13) supported by the excavator body, and a movable rail (14) that extends on an extension of the fixed rail and is bendably connected to one end of the fixed rail, and the movable rail being bendable in the direction in which the fixed rail extends.

Description

Excavation device

[0001] The present invention relates to an excavation device in which a part of a slide rail protruding from an excavator body can be accommodated on the excavator body side.

[0002] Conventionally, a slide rail is provided horizontally above an excavator body equipped with a traveling mechanism such as a crawler via a support column, and a hammer grab is moved along the extending direction of the slide rail to facilitate excavation work at low headroom. An excavation device is known (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-106615

[0004] In the above-described excavation device, a part of the slide rail for moving the hammer grab in the horizontal direction has a structure that protrudes horizontally from one direction of the excavator body. The excavator body is equipped with a traveling mechanism such as a crawler for moving to the excavation work site. By moving the extending direction of the slide rail in the traveling direction of the traveling mechanism, the width of the excavation device can be reduced, and it can also enter a narrow place. However, at a narrow excavation site such as inside a building or a basement floor, the path to move to the excavation position is narrow and complex, and in many cases, the excavator body must be frequently turned. For this reason, when turning the excavation device, the protruding part of the slide rail becomes an obstacle, and the place where the turning can be performed is limited. As a result, it takes a lot of time to move to the excavation site, and in some cases, the construction site that can be constructed is limited.

[0005] The excavation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of a fixed first rail and a movable second rail that can protrude from the first rail. According to this configuration, by sliding and accommodating the second rail on the first rail side, the protruding part of the horizontal rail can be shortened. However, the structure for expanding and contracting the second rail becomes complicated and the number of parts also increases. Furthermore, in order to stably support the second rail, it is necessary to increase the strength of the first rail, and there is a problem that the size of the first rail and the width direction size of the excavator body supporting the first rail increase.

[0006] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an excavation device that allows for easy movement and direction changes of the excavator body in confined spaces, while having a simple device configuration, by allowing a portion of the slide rail extending from the excavator body to be folded and housed in the excavator body.

[0007] To solve the above problems, the drilling apparatus of the present invention comprises a drilling machine body equipped with a tubing section for rotating and pressing a casing tube into the ground, and a slide rail positioned above the drilling machine body and moving a hammer grab for collecting crushed material from the casing tube in a horizontal direction. The slide rail is composed of a fixed rail supported by the drilling machine body and a movable rail extending on the extension of the fixed rail and bendably connected to one end of the fixed rail, wherein the movable rail is bendable in the direction in which the fixed rail extends.

[0008] According to the excavation apparatus of the present invention, the movable rail can be bent in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the fixed rail extends, eliminating any protruding portion from the excavator body. This makes it easier to change direction in confined spaces when moving the excavation apparatus toward a predetermined excavation site. Furthermore, because the movable rail is folded and housed within the excavator body, the number of components is reduced, resulting in a more compact overall apparatus.

[0009] This is a perspective view of the drilling apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing the movable rail in an extended state. This is a perspective view of the main part of the drilling apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing the movable rail in a retracted state. This is a front view of the drilling apparatus according to the first embodiment. This is a side view of the drilling apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing the movable rail in a retracted state. This is a side view of the drilling apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing the movable rail rotating between the retracted position and the extended position. This is a side view of the drilling apparatus according to the first embodiment, showing the movable rail extended to the extended position. This is a side view of the drilling apparatus according to the second embodiment, showing the movable rail in a retracted state. This is a side view of the drilling apparatus according to the second embodiment, showing the movable rail rotating between the retracted position and the extended position. This is a side view of the drilling apparatus according to the second embodiment, showing the movable rail extended to the extended position. This is a plan view of the drilling apparatus according to the third embodiment, showing the movable rail in an extended state. This is a plan view of the drilling apparatus according to the third embodiment, showing the connecting arm being bent toward the movable rail to be retracted to the first retracted position. This is a plan view of the drilling apparatus according to the third embodiment, showing the movable rail being bent toward the fixed rail to be retracted to the second retracted position. This is an explanatory diagram comparing the movement path of the excavation device of the present invention with that of a conventional excavation device. This is an explanatory diagram of how to perform excavation work using the excavation device of the present invention.

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail based on the attached drawings. The excavation device 1 of the present invention has a structure that facilitates excavation work in low headroom where overhead space is limited, and as shown in Figures 1 to 3, it consists of an excavator body 2 and a slide rail 3 consisting of a pair of rails that are supported on the excavator body 2 and extend horizontally in parallel. The excavator body 2 includes a base section 5 having a travel mechanism consisting of a pair of crawlers 4, and a plurality of support columns 6 that support the slide rail 3 on the base section 5. The base section 5 also includes a tubing section 8 that forms a borehole wall in the ground using a casing tube 7. To enable movement and work in low headroom, the slide rail 3 is set at a height of about 3 m from the ground surface on which the pair of crawlers 4 are in contact, as an example.

[0011] The tubing section 8 has a clamping function for clamping the casing tube 7, a function for rotating and pressing the clamped casing tube 7 into the ground, and a pulling function for pulling the pressed-in casing tube 7 out of the ground.

[0012] In the excavation apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment, the slide rail 3 is composed of a pair of fixed rails 13 fixed at the upper ends of four support columns 6, and a pair of movable rails 14 that are foldably connected to the respective ends of the pair of fixed rails 13. As shown in Figure 1, the movable rails 14 extend along the extension of the fixed rails 13 and, when supported horizontally together with the fixed rails 13, retract the carriage 9 from the tubing section 8, attach the casing tube 7, hammer grab 10, etc., or collect crushed material such as soil excavated by the hammer grab 10 and discharge it to a predetermined position.

[0013] During excavation work, as shown in Figure 1, the movable rail 14 is supported horizontally with respect to the fixed rail 13. On the other hand, during movement, as shown in Figure 2, the movable rail 14 can be bent in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the fixed rail 13 extends, in order to eliminate the protruding portion from the tip of the fixed rail 13. This makes it possible to change direction without contacting the side walls of narrow tunnels, etc., as long as it is within the range in which the crawler 4 can travel.

[0014] The carriage 9 moves back and forth between the fixed rail 13 and the movable rail 14 with the casing tube 7 and hammer grab 10 suspended from it. The movement mechanism of the carriage 9, the suspension and lifting mechanism for the hammer grab 10 and casing tube 7, and the running mechanism using the pair of crawlers 4 use well-known electric or hydraulic drive mechanisms, so details are omitted.

[0015] The base unit 5 is equipped with a controller (not shown) for driving a pair of crawlers 4. Remote control from the controller allows for forward movement, reverse movement, left and right turning, and speed adjustment of the pair of crawlers 4 from a distance. Remote control can be performed using wired or wireless connections.

[0016] The carriage 9 is equipped with a pulley 18 for suspending the casing tube 7 and hammer grab 10 shown in Figure 14 via a wire (not shown), and a winch (not shown) capable of winding up / down the wire.

[0017] The hammer grab 10 is used for deep hole drilling and excavation of building foundations, and as shown in Figure 3, it comprises a case 10a and a pair of shells 10b that are openable and closable and provided at the tip of the case 10a.

[0018] Next, the characteristic configuration and operation of the movable rail will be described in each embodiment shown in Figures 4 to 10. Figures 4 to 6 show the configuration of the movable rail 14 according to the first embodiment. Here, a pair of slide rails 3 are shown from one side view, but the other side views are common and are therefore omitted from the illustration. The movable rail 14 is connected to the tip of the fixed rail 13 via a hinge 15 that allows rotation in the vertical direction, and the movable rail 14 is rotatable between an extended position where it extends from the tip of the fixed rail 13 and connects to the fixed rail 13 in a straight line, and a retracted position which is perpendicular downward from this extended position. The movable rail 14 is connected via a hydraulic or other telescopic member (cylinder) 20 extending from the lower end of the support column 6 of the excavator body 2. Furthermore, when the movable rail 14 moves to the extended position by the pushing operation of the cylinder 20, a reinforcing member 21 is provided to support it as a brace between it and the excavator body 2 in order to sufficiently maintain this extended position in terms of strength. The reinforcing member 21 has its upper end 21a rotatably attached to one end of the side surface of the movable rail 14, while its lower end 21b is free.

[0019] Figure 4 shows the cylinder 20 in the retracted position. At this time, the movable rail 14 is bent in a direction perpendicular to the fixed rail 13 and downwards, and the reinforcing member 21 is free with its lower end 21b facing downwards. Figure 5 shows the state in which the movable rail 14 rises or falls using the hinge 15 as a pivot point due to the extrusion drive of the cylinder 20. The reinforcing member 21 moves up and down with its lower end 21b free as the movable rail 14 rises or falls.

[0020] From the state shown in Figure 4, the movable rail 14 is pushed forward by driving the cylinder 20 to push it out. At this time, as shown in Figure 6, the movable rail 14 is extended along the extension of the fixed rail 13 and raised to a position where it is horizontal to the fixed rail 13. In this state, the lower end 21b of the reinforcing member 21 is fixed to a predetermined location on the support column 6 with a hook or the like to form a truss structure. This allows the movable rail 14 on which the carriage 9 moves to be supported horizontally in a stable and strong manner in conjunction with the pushing operation by the cylinder 20.

[0021] Furthermore, in the state shown in Figure 6, after releasing the lower end 21b of the reinforcing member 21, the movable rail 14 is pulled towards the excavator body 2 by driving the cylinder 20 inward, and is housed in a direction perpendicular to the fixed rail 13, as shown in Figure 4. This eliminates the protruding portion of the slide rail 3. The housed movable rail 14 can be fixed to the excavator body 2 by fixing its tip with a fixing member (not shown), such as a hook, to prevent shaking during movement. The reinforcing member 21 can also be fixed by hooking its lower end 21b onto the side of the movable rail 14.

[0022] A carriage 9 is positioned on the fixed rail 13, and when the movable rail 14 is supported in the extended position, the carriage 9 can be slid to the connecting arm 17 that connects the tip of the movable rail 14 by an actuator (not shown), such as a hydraulic cylinder that drives the carriage.

[0023] Figures 7 to 9 show the configuration of the movable rail according to the second embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, a pair of slide rails 3 are shown from one side view, but the other side view is also common and therefore omitted from the illustration. In this embodiment, the movable rail 24 is composed of two members and can be stored by folding it in half. The movable rail 24 consists of a first movable rail 24a and a second movable rail 24b. The first movable rail 24a is connected to the fixed rail 23 via a first hinge 15, and the first movable rail 24a and the second movable rail 24b are connected via a second hinge 16. A cylinder 20 similar to that in the first embodiment is connected to the first movable rail 24a. A wire 26 extending from a reel (not shown) provided on the fixed rail 23 side is attached to the tip of the second movable rail 24b so as to be able to be wound up. In addition, a reinforcing member 21 that reinforces the support strength of the movable rail 24 in the extended position is also arranged similarly to the first embodiment. The reel can wind up / unwind the wire 26 based on instructions from a controller (not shown).

[0024] When the cylinder 20 is driven to retract, the movable rail 24 is pulled towards the excavator body 2 by winding up the wire 26 in conjunction with the cylinder 20, and the first movable rail 24a and the second movable rail 24b are stored folded in half as shown in Figure 7. At this time, the lower end 21b of the reinforcing member 21 is fixed to the excavator body 2. This eliminates the protruding portion of the movable rail 24. In this way, by folding the movable rail 24 in half, even if the total length of the movable rail 24 is set to be long, it can be stored without coming into contact with the crawler 4 or the ground. Furthermore, since the movable rail 24 is configured to fold the first movable rail 24a and the second movable rail 24b upward, sufficient support strength can be ensured at the second movable rail 24b when the movable rail 24 is extended to a horizontal position.

[0025] Figure 8 shows the state in which the cylinder 20 is driven to push out. When driving the cylinder 20, the lower end 21b of the reinforcing member 21 is detached from the excavator body 2 in advance. Then, by driving the cylinder 20 to push out and simultaneously unwinding the wire 26, the first movable rail 24a and the second movable rail 24b are extended forward and lifted to a horizontal position as shown in Figure 9. At this time, the first movable rail 24a and the second movable rail 24b are extended on the extension of the fixed rail 23. In this state, by fixing the lower end 21b of the reinforcing member 21 to one end of the support column 6, a truss structure is formed, and the extended position of the first movable rail 24a and the second movable rail 24b can be stably supported.

[0026] Furthermore, in the state shown in Figure 9, after releasing the fixing of the lower end 21b of the reinforcing member 21, the cylinder 20 is driven inward, so that the first movable rail 24a and the second movable rail 24b are pulled towards the excavator body 2 so that they overlap, as shown in Figure 8, and are housed in a direction perpendicular to the fixed rail 23, as shown in Figure 7.

[0027] In the first and second embodiments described above, the pair of movable rails move together as a single unit between the extended position and the retracted position, so at least one drive source from the cylinder 20 is sufficient. Furthermore, since the pair of movable rails are U-shaped by the connecting arm 17 that connects their ends, they can maintain their posture when moving between the extended position and the retracted position.

[0028] Figures 10 to 12 show the slide rail 3 according to the third embodiment in a plan view from above the excavation device 1. In the first and second embodiments described above, the movable rail is bent in a direction perpendicular to the fixed rail downwards and can be housed on the excavator body 2 side, but in this embodiment, the movable rail is configured to be bent horizontally to the fixed rail and can be housed on the excavator body 2 side. The movable rails 34a and 34b are connected by connecting arms 17 to prevent their tips from spreading outwards. The connecting arms 17 are formed by first connecting arms 17a and second connecting arms 17b, which are connected to the upper sides of the movable rails 34a and 34b, respectively, via rotating mechanisms 36a and 36b such as pinions. The rotating mechanisms 36a and 36b can rotate the first connecting arms 17a and second connecting arms 17b, respectively, based on instructions from a controller (not shown). The movable rails 34a and 34b are connected to the respective ends of the fixed rails 33a and 33b via hinges 35a and 35b that allow for horizontal rotation.

[0029] Figure 10 shows the state in which the movable rails 34a and 34b are extended linearly on the extension of the fixed rails 33a and 33b (extended position). The enlarged views (a) and (b) shown here show the connection portion between one of the movable rails 34a and the other movable rail 34b as seen from the top and inner side. The other movable rail 34b and the other movable rail 34b have a similar configuration. In this way, the drive cylinders 30a and 30b are connected between the fixed rails 33a and 33b and the movable rails 34a and 34b, respectively. In the extended position shown in Figure 10, the tip portions are connected by a connecting arm 17 consisting of a first connecting arm 17a and a second connecting arm 17b, and, as in the first and second embodiments described above, the movable rails 34a and 34b are supported via a reinforcing member (not shown) to maintain the extended position. Figure 11 shows the state in which the separated first connecting arm 17a and second connecting arm 17b are housed so as to overlap the movable rails 34a and 34b, respectively (first housing position). Figure 12 shows the state in which the movable rails 34a and 34b, which house the first connecting arm 17a and second connecting arm 17b, are housed in a direction perpendicular to the fixed rails 33a and 33b (second housing position).

[0030] As shown in Figure 12, by retracting the cylinders 30a and 30b, the movable rails 34a and 34b rotate inward, respectively, and are housed in a position perpendicular to the fixed rails 33a and 33b. Conversely, by pushing the cylinders 30a and 30b outward, the movable rails 34a and 34b rotate outward, respectively, and are positioned in an extended position that is linearly connected to the fixed rails 33a and 33b. As shown in the enlarged views (a) and (b) of Figure 10, the cylinders 30a and 30b are positioned at the lower part of the inner sides of the fixed rails 33a and 33b and the movable rails 34a and 34b, respectively, so as not to interfere with the sliding movement of the carriage 9.

[0031] To accommodate the movable rails 34a and 34b in an overlapping manner, the lengths of the movable rails 34a and 34b are limited to within the width between the opposing fixed rails 33a and 33b, and the mounting positions of the hinges 35a and 35b are also staggered. Accordingly, the length ratio of the fixed rails 33a and 33b and the movable rails 34a and 34b is adjusted within the range of the overall length of the horizontal frame in the extended position.

[0032] When moving the movable rails 34a and 34b from the extended position shown in Figure 10 to the first retracted position shown in Figure 11, the connection between the first connecting arm 17a and the second connecting arm 17b is first released. Then, the first connecting arm 17a is rotated by the rotation mechanism 36a in a direction that bends it toward the movable rail 34a, and retracted so that it overlaps the upper side of the movable rail 34a. Similarly, the second connecting arm 17b is rotated by the rotation mechanism 36b in a direction that bends it toward the movable rail 34b, and retracted so that it overlaps the upper side of the movable rail 34b.

[0033] Next, when moving the movable rails 34a and 34b from the first storage position shown in Figure 11 to the second storage position shown in Figure 12, the cylinder 30a is first retracted to house the movable rail 34a in a storage position perpendicular to the fixed rail 33a, and then the cylinder 30b is retracted to house the movable rail 34b in a storage position perpendicular to the fixed rail 33b. When moving the movable rails 34a and 34b from the second storage position to the extended position, the opposite is done by pushing the cylinders 30a and 30b outwards and rotating the rotating mechanisms 36a and 36b in the reverse direction.

[0034] As a modification of the third embodiment described above, although not shown in the figures, the lengths of the movable rails 34a and 34b can be set to 1 / 2 or less of the width between the opposing fixed rails 33a and 33b. In this modification, the range of movement of the carriage 9 in the extended position is limited, but the front-to-back positions of the hinges connecting the fixed rails and the movable rails are the same on both sides. Therefore, in the storage position, the movable rails do not overlap, and they can be folded and stored compactly in a straight line so that the ends of each movable rail face each other. In this modification, since the length of the extended movable rails is short, it is not necessarily required to provide the connecting arm 17 shown in Figure 10 to prevent the ends from opening outwards.

[0035] In the third embodiment and its modifications described above, the pair of movable rails can be bent inward in the width direction of the pair of fixed rails, so that the pair of movable rails can be moved between the retracted position and the extended position even in places where the track width through which the excavation device 1 passes is narrow. Furthermore, as with the first and second embodiments, it is also possible to rotate the movable rails using a hydraulic cylinder or the like.

[0036] As shown in the first to third embodiments described above, in the excavation device of the present invention, when moving to the excavation site, the movable rail, which is the protruding part of the slide rail, can be bent downward or inward horizontally perpendicular to the fixed rail, so that there is no protruding part from the excavator body and it is compact. As a result, it is possible to easily change direction even in places where the path to the target excavation site is narrow. Furthermore, when moved to the excavation site, the movable rail is connected in a straight line with the fixed rail, so the sliding range of the carriage 9 on which the hammer grab is suspended can be expanded and work efficiency is improved.

[0037] Figure 13 shows a plan view of a hypothetical excavation construction site. Here, the travel paths to reach the target construction area A along a passage partitioned by multiple walls and columns are compared between the excavation device 1A of the present invention and the conventional excavation device 1B. The conventional excavation device 1B has a structure in which the slide rail 3B is fixed forward and protrudes, so it must travel in places where the gaps between walls and columns are wide enough to easily change direction. For this reason, it was necessary to make a large detour, as shown by the dashed line travel path R2, to reach the construction area A. In contrast, in the excavation device 1A of the present invention, as shown in Figure 2, the tip of the slide rail 3 is a bendable movable rail 14, so it can easily advance even in places where the gaps between walls and columns are narrow, as long as there is enough space for the crawler 4 to travel and change direction. As a result, it is possible to reach the construction area A in the shortest time without making a large detour, as shown by the solid line travel path R1. In addition, since the slide rail 3 is at a low altitude, travel and excavation work are easy even in places with overhead restrictions, as shown in Figure 14.

[0038] Next, the excavation process by the excavation device 1, which has moved to the construction area A, will be explained based on Figure 14. Here, the explanation will be based on the configuration of the first embodiment. After arriving at the construction area A, the movable rail 14 is moved from the storage position to the extended position and fixed. Then, the carriage 9 slides the casing tube 7 onto the tubing section 8 and installs the casing tube 7 on the tubing section 8. Then, the casing tube 7 is pressed into the ground while rotating. Next, the carriage 9 slides the hammer grab 10 onto the tubing section 8 and drops it into the casing tube 7 from this height. The shell 10b is dropped in an open state and pierces the ground inside the casing tube 7.

[0039] Next, with the shell 10b closed, the hammer grab 10 is lifted out of the ground and then further lifted above the tubing section 8. Subsequently, the carriage 9, which suspends the hammer grab 10, is moved toward the movable rail 14, which is extended in front of the fixed rail 13. Then, at the designated discharge location, the shell 10b is opened to discharge the excavated material such as soil and rocks. By repeating this operation and moving the hammer grab 10 back and forth horizontally by the movement of the carriage 9, excavation and discharge work can be performed easily and efficiently in places with overhead restrictions. Furthermore, when the excavation work is finished and it is time to retreat, the movable rail can be folded and stored toward the excavator body, allowing the machine to be easily moved back to its original position while changing direction.

Claims

1. An excavation device comprising: an excavator body equipped with a tubing section for rotating and pressing a casing tube into the ground; and a slide rail positioned above the excavator body, which moves a hammer grab for collecting crushed material from the casing tube horizontally, wherein the slide rail is composed of a fixed rail supported by the excavator body and a movable rail extending on the extension of the fixed rail and flexibly connected to one end of the fixed rail, and the movable rail is flexible in the direction in which the fixed rail extends.

2. The excavation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable rail is bendable downward relative to the fixed rail.

3. The excavation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable rail is bendable in an inward direction relative to the fixed rail.

4. The excavation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the movable rail is held in an extended position parallel to the fixed rail and a retracted position perpendicular to the fixed rail by an expandable member provided between it and the excavator body.

5. The excavation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable rail is attached to one end of the fixed rail via a hinge.

6. The excavation device according to claim 2, wherein the movable rail consists of at least two members, and each member is connected by a rotatable shaft.

7. The drilling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed rail is supported via a plurality of support columns erected on the drilling machine body.

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