Motorized Trench Box Handling Device for Safe Excavation Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shoring devices require manual intervention to insert and stack trench boxes in open excavations, posing safety risks and inefficiencies, especially in deep trenches where multiple boxes are needed.
Innovation Solution
A handling device with motorized wall contact members and a coupling system that allows for safe and rapid transport and insertion of trench boxes into open excavations, enabling secure attachment and detachment from a prime mover without manual intervention, facilitating rapid stacking of multiple boxes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual intervention is used to insert and stack trench boxes, then the process requires simple equipment and low initial cost, but it poses safety risks and reduces efficiency especially in deep trenches
Solution Approach 1:
A handling device acts as an intermediary between the prime mover and the trench box. This device includes a wall contact member that engages with the trench box wall and a coupling that connects to the prime mover, allowing automated lifting and positioning without manual intervention in the trench.
Solution Approach 2:
The handling device enables self-service operation where the prime mover automatically lifts and positions the trench box through the coupling mechanism, eliminating the need for manual guidance and release operations that compromise safety.
2Productivity
If manual release of trench boxes is required, then the equipment structure remains simple, but it increases time consumption and labor requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The manual mechanical release operation is replaced by a motorized wall contact member that can automatically engage and disengage from the trench box. This substitution enables rapid stacking operations without manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The wall contact member is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically engage with and release from the trench box wall. This dynamic mechanism enables rapid attachment and detachment operations.
3Reliability
If conventional handling methods are used, then the equipment remains simple, but it requires individuals to enter the trench which creates safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The handling device extracts the dangerous manual intervention from the trench environment. The wall contact member and coupling mechanism perform all operations from outside the trench, completely removing the need for workers to enter the hazardous excavation zone.
4Productivity
If multiple trench boxes are stacked in deep excavations, then the shoring capacity is sufficient, but the time and labor required for manual stacking increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The handling device enables continuous operation where the prime mover can continuously lift and position trench boxes without interruption. The automated engagement and disengagement mechanisms eliminate the time losses associated with manual operations between stacking cycles.
Data Source
AI summary
A handling device for depositing a trench box into an open excavation includes at least one reciprocal trench box wall contact member movable along a first axis; motor means for selective movement of the wall contact member; and a coupling for attaching the contact member and the motor means to a prime mover for selectively moving the handling device along an axis generally perpendicular to the first axis. A system for depositing a trench box in an open excavation includes the handling device and a trench box having a plurality of apertures engageable with the at least one wall contact member. A method for depositing a trench box in an open excavation includes operating the handling device with the trench box having the apertures.