Hydraulic Winch Scraper for No-Entry Culvert Clearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing culvert cleaning methods are unsafe, inefficient, and disruptive, often requiring personnel to enter confined spaces, leading to safety hazards, extended road closures, and potential damage to culverts and the environment.
Innovation Solution
A culvert-clearing system with a hydraulic-powered winch assembly, scraper mechanism, and pulley configuration that allows bidirectional debris removal without human entry, using a base plate for alignment and a scraper arm with angled teeth to dislodge debris, and a hydraulic conversion kit for existing winches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual clearing methods are used, then personnel can directly remove debris, but safety hazards increase due to confined space entry risks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts personnel from the hazardous confined space environment by using a remote-operated robotic system that enters the culvert instead of human workers. The robot is controlled from a safe external location, eliminating direct human exposure to entrapment, collapse, and harmful material risks while maintaining effective debris removal capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system serves as an intermediary between the operator and the hazardous environment. It transmits control signals from the remote operator to the cleaning mechanisms inside the culvert, allowing indirect interaction with the dangerous confined space while preserving operational effectiveness.
2Productivity
If heavy machinery is used for cleaning, then debris removal efficiency increases, but risk of damage to culvert structure and surrounding terrain increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces heavy mechanical equipment with a lightweight robotic system that uses controlled mechanical forces. The robot employs rotating brushes, cutting wheels, or high-pressure water jets powered by compact motors, providing sufficient cleaning capability without the excessive weight and force that would damage delicate culvert structures or surrounding terrain.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of force application by using precisely controlled, localized mechanical actions rather than brute force. The robotic mechanisms can adjust their operating parameters (speed, pressure, contact force) to match the specific conditions of each culvert, ensuring effective debris removal while staying within safe force limits to prevent structural damage.
3Reliability
If complete culvert replacement is performed, then accessibility and damage issues are resolved, but construction time and environmental disruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system enables the culvert to be serviced in-place without removal or replacement. The robot navigates through the existing culvert structure, performs cleaning and minor repairs as needed, and exits through the same or different access point, allowing the culvert to continue serving its function throughout the maintenance process with minimal interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary assessment and cleaning actions before any potential replacement would be needed. By regularly maintaining the culvert with the robotic system, debris and minor obstructions are removed proactively, preventing conditions that would necessitate full replacement and avoiding the associated time losses and environmental disruptions.
Data Source
AI summary
A culvert-clearing system is provided. The system includes a base plate with alignment features, a pivotable winch assembly, and a scraper mechanism designed for bidirectional movement through a culvert. The winch assembly may be hydraulically powered and optionally retrofitted to existing winches using a conversion kit that integrates a hydraulic motor with a drive shaft via an adapter plate and coupler. The hydraulic motor is operated via a control unit and pump system to ensure proper torque delivery. A scraper assembly with angled arms and teeth is connected to a winch cable routed through a pulley assembly anchored at the far end of the culvert, enabling effective debris dislodgment and transport toward an accessible opening.