Dredge System

This application claims priority to US Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/639,160, filed Apr. 26, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure generally relates to a dredge system. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a dredge system that is capable of operating in a sub-slurry or sub-liquid environment.

Conventional dredging sleds or scoops are rigid structures moved and oriented by a conventional excavator or earth moving device. Some conventional dredges can operate with a float attached to an above water cable system. The cable system moves the float along the surface of the water while below a surface pump excavates the material.

It has been determined that an improved dredge system is desired. The conventional dredging devices can be time consuming and difficult to deploy and maintain. Moreover, many of the conventional dredging systems are limited in the environment in which they are useful or are restricted in movement.

Therefore, the present disclosure sets forth embodiments of a system that improves the efficiency of dredging and is easy to maintain and deploy. One aspect of the present disclosure provides a dredge system, comprising a float having an inlet and an outlet, a drive device including a drive wheel and a suction intake, and a control arm connected to the inlet of the float and an outlet of the suction intake, the control arm configured to extend vertically from the drive device, the float configured to maintain a position directly above the drive device and the drive wheel configured to move the suction intake.

A second aspect of the disclosure in accordance with the first aspect of the disclosure provides a dredge system with a suction intake that is a bi-directional suction intake configured to be capable of dredging in both a forward direction and a rearward direction.

A third aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a drive wheel that includes movable drive wheel extensions configured to extend to provide traction for soft or loose surface.

A fourth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with movable drive wheel extensions that are electric, pneumatic or hydraulic.

A fifth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a drive wheel that includes rubber blocks on an exterior thereof.

A sixth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a control arm that is hollow to enable dredges material to pass therethrough.

A seventh aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel.

An eighth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with first and second drive wheels that are individually powered and controllable.

A ninth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a drive device that includes first and second motors to control the first and second drive wheels, respectfully.

A tenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a float that includes a GPS.

An eleventh aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a conduit that is attached to the outlet of the float to enable dredged material to be pumped.

A twelfth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a float having an inlet and an outlet, a pump in communication with the outlet of the float and configured to pump a fluid or slurry, a drive device including a suction intake, a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel, and the drive device configured to move along a bottom surface beneath the fluid or the slurry and suction material into the suction intake, and a control arm connected in communication with the inlet of the float and an outlet of the suction intake, the control arm configured to extend vertically from the drive device, the float configured to maintain a position directly above the drive device, and communicate the slurry or the fluid from the suction intake to the float.

A thirteenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a suction intake that is a bi-directional suction intake configured to be capable of dredging in both a forward direction and a rearward direction.

A fourteenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with each of the first and second drive wheels including movable drive wheel extensions configured to extend to provide traction for soft or loose surface.

A fifteenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with movable drive wheel extensions that are electric, pneumatic or hydraulic.

A sixteenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with the first and second drive wheels that include rubber blocks on an exterior thereof.

A seventeenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with first and second drive wheels that are individually powered and controllable.

An eighteenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a drive device that includes first and second motors to control the first and second drive wheels, respectfully.

A nineteenth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with a float that includes a GPS.

A twentieth aspect of the disclosure in accordance with any of the above aspects provides a dredge system with an outlet of the float that is positioneddegrees offset from the inlet of the float.

This disclosure provides embodiments of an invention that improves the efficiency of dredging and is easy to maintain and deploy.

Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Referring initially toa dredge systemdisposed on a floating barge FB. The floating barge FB floats on the surface S of a fluid F. On the bottom B below the fluid F, there is a material M or slurry to be dredged (or any other surface). The floating barge FB is configured to move the dredge systemrelative the bottom B of the material M or slurry. The barge FB can be self-propelled, propelled by any suitable external movement device (e.g., a cable and pulley system), or can be passive and moved by the dredge systemor any other motivation system or device.

It is noted that the barge FB can be optional and the dredge systemcan operate without the barge FB and pump the material M or slurry directly to solid ground. In such an embodiment, the pump can be disposed in any suitable location.

As can be understood, the dredge systemcan be deployed on such a barge FB to enable the dredge systemto freely move relative to the material M or slurry. In one embodiment, the barge FB is propelled to move the dredge systemrelative to the material M or slurry to enable dredging of the desired material M.

The barge FB can include a pumpto pump the dredged material M from the bottom B to a suitable receptacle. As can be understood, the dredge systemdredges the material M which passes from the float through the conduitto the pumpand out through the conduitand onto the hard surface where a reservoir or other suitable container is manner for holding or disposing of the material M is located. The pumpcan be an Eddy Pump, for example, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/176,495, filed Oct. 31, 2018, entitled Eddy Pump, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.

The conduitsandcan be held afloat using floatsabove or at the surface S of the fluid F. One float device that is preferred is disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 17/668,099, filed Feb. 9, 2022, and Ser. No. 17/832,827, filed Jun. 6, 2022. Another float system that can be used is disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 19/181,456, filed Apr. 17, 2025. The disclosures of co-pending applications Ser. Nos. 17/668,099, 17/832,827 and 19/181,456 are incorporated herein in their entirety.

As illustrated in, the dredge systemincludes a floathaving an inletand an outlet, a drive deviceincluding a first drive wheel, a second drive wheeland a suction intake, and a control armconnected to the inletof the floatand an outletof the suction intake, the control armis configured to extend vertically from the drive device, and the floatis configured to maintain a position directly above the drive deviceand the drive wheelsandare configured to move the drive device, such that the suction intakeis configured to move along the bottom B to suction material M. In one embodiment, the outletof the floatis positioned 90 degrees offset from the inletof the float.

The floatcan be formed from a thermoplastic or plastic material or any other suitable material that enables the floatto float in the material M or slurry. The inletof the floatis disposed on a lower surfaceand is in fluid communication with the control arm. The outletof the floatis disposed on a lateral sideand is in fluid communication with the conduit. Preferably, the outletis disposed so as to be above the waterline W of the float, such that the outlet is disposed above the surface S of the fluid F; however, the outletcan be disposed in any suitable position or on any suitable surface or side. Moreover, while the floatgenerally has buoyancy sufficient such that at least a portion of the floatis above the surface S of the fluid M, the floatcan be completely submerged, partially submerged or disposed in any suitable manner relative to the surface S of the fluid F. In such a situation, the outletof the floatcan be above, below or at the surface S of the fluid F.

The floatcan include a GPS location systemto determine the specific location of the float. Such a GPS location systemenables precise tracking of the dredge systemto determine where the dredge systemhas dredged and map a path that the dredge systemwill follow to most efficiently dredge the material M. In one embodiment, the GPS location systemincludes a dual antenna system further increasing location determination. That is the GPS location systemcan include a first antennaand a second antennaAs can be understood, the GPS location systemreceives radio waves from a plurality of navigation satellites to obtain information that represents, for example, a current heading of the float, a current position of the floatin two or three dimensions, a current angular orientation of the float, or a combination thereof, as discussed in more detail below.

The control armcan be formed thermoplastic or plastic material and couples the floatto the drive device. The control armcan be a hollow tube with an inlet endand an outlet end. The inlet endis connected to the drive deviceand the outlet endis connected to the float. The control armis sized and configured to enable the material M to pass therethrough from the drive deviceand into the float. In one embodiment, the control armis generally rigid such that movement of the floatand/or movement of the drive systemresults in the movement of the other. Thus, the control armis capable of controlling the movement of the float.

As illustrated in, the drive deviceincludes bi-directional sled, the first drive wheel, the second drive wheel, a first drive motorand a second drive motor. The bi-directional sledis a device that is capable of dredging material M in two different directions without changing the orientation of the overall dredging system or the drive device.

The bi-directional sledincludes a support structure, a shroud assemblyand a water nozzle assembly.

The support structureof the bi-directional sledincludes parallel central panelsand side panels, as shown in. The central panelsare spaced apart from one another and are dimensioned and shaped to couple to a bracketat an inlet endof the control arm. That is, the bracketsare structural plates that are connected to the inlet endof the control arm. The bracketscan be coupled to the panelsusing a fastener, such as a nut and bolt attachment to attach the drive deviceto the control arm,

More specifically, upper rearward ends of the central panelsare attached to the support structure. That is, as shown in, the support structureis constructed with lower ends of each of the central panelsattached thereto. The side panelsare fixed to opposite sides of the support structureparallel to the central panels.

The support structurefurther includes a plurality of classifier barshaving an overall curved or curvilinear shape. The plurality of classifier barsare spaced apart from one another by a predetermined distance that is less than the diameter of the inlet.

As shown in, the shroud assemblyincludes pivot shafts, a pair of runnersand a shroud. The shroudis an elongated panel having a first end fixed to one of the runnersand a second end fixed to the other of the runners.

Each of the runnersas a curvilinear shape with curved portions and straight portions. Each of the two runnersinclude a corresponding one of the pivot shafts, as described further below. During movement of the bi-directional sled, the runnerspivot about the pivot shaftsand, in effect, serve as wheels that can undergo limited pivoting movement, as is described in greater detail below.

The shroudcan have a curved or contoured shape. Upper and lower surfaces of the shroudare preferably approximately parallel to an axis A that extends through each of the pivot shafts. The exposed edgeof the shrouddefine leading edges that initially break up and then scoop up debris and slurry during the dredging process, as is described further below. Each direction of the shroudhas a leading edge; however only edgeis described herein.

The pivot shaftsare co-axially aligned with one another and define the axis A that extends through the support structure. The pivot shaftsare supported by corresponding ones of the side panelsof the support structurefor pivotal movement such that the shroud assemblypivots about the axis A. The side panelscan each include bearings (not shown) that are co-axially aligned with the pivot shaftsand support the pivot shaftsto corresponding ones of the side panelsof the support structure.

The shroud assemblycan pivot between a first orientation and a second orientation. See for example,. The shroud assemblyis shaped and configured such that with the shroud assemblybeing moved by the drive devicein a first direction Dalong a bottom B of a channel or fluid F, the curvilinear shape of the runnerscauses the shroud assemblyto pivot to the first orientation. Since the shroudis fixedly attached to the runners, the shroudpivots with the runners. Conversely, with the shroud assemblybeing moved by the drive devicein a second direction Dalong the bottom B surface S of the channel or body of water W, the curvilinear shape of the runnerscauses the shroud assemblyto pivot to the second orientation. Hence, friction between the bottom B and the runnerscauses the runnersto that pivot and re-position the shroud assemblybetween the first orientation () and the second orientation ().

For example, as shown in, while moving in the first direction D, the curvilinear shape of the runnersgenerates friction while in contact with bottom B keeping the shroud assemblyin the first orientation. As shown in, when movement in the first direction Dceases and movement in the second direction Dbegins, the runnerscause the shroud assemblyto begin to pivot through an intermediate position. Continued movement in the second direction Dcauses the shroud assemblyto pivot to the second orientation, as shown in. The reverse, where movement of the shroud assemblychanges from the second direction Dto the first direction Dcauses the shroud assemblyto pivot from the second orientation () to the first orientation ().

The shroudhas an edgeshown in. The edgeacts as a blade or shovel edge when the bi-directional sledis moved in the direction Dwith the shroud assemblymoved to the second orientation. As can be understood, there is a similar edge that acts as a blade or shovel edge when the bi-directional sledis moved in the first direction Dwith the shroud assemblypivoted to the first orientation.

In other words, with the drive devicemoving the support structureand the shroud assemblyin the first direction D, the shroud assemblyautomatically (via friction) moves to the first orientation and the edge scoops up debris or material from the bottom B. With the drive devicemoving the support structureand the shroud assemblyin the second direction D, the shroud assemblyautomatically (via friction) moves to the second orientation and the edgefurther scoops up debris from the bottom B. With the pivoting capability of the shroud assemblyrelative to the support structure, there is no need to lift or move the bi-directional sledin order to reposition the bi-directional sledfor a subsequent dredging of material M. Rather, the drive deviceonly has to reverse direction of movement of the bi-directional sledduring a dredging operation.

The shroud panelof the support structureincludes the outlet. As the drive devicemoves the bi-directional sledin the first direction Dand the second direction Dalong the bottom B, material M dredged by the shroudis directed between the classifier barsand toward the outlet. The classifier barsserve two purposes. First, the classifier barshelp to break up large clumps of debris and also prevent rocks larger than the distance between the classifier barsfrom passing into the area between the shroud paneland the shroud. Further, the curved shape of the shroudis such that dredged material M that has passed into the area between the shroud paneland the shroudis pushed upward toward the shroud panelallowing suction via the pump, the suction pumpand the outletto further draw debris and dredged material M away from the bottom B. As shown in, the shroudis located below the classifier bars.

As shown in, the water nozzle assembly(also referred to as a water spraying structure) includes a feed pipe. In one embodiment, the nozzle assemblycan also include a valve (not shown) and first and second manifolds. The first and second manifoldsare attached to the support structurevia attachment plates. Each of the first and second manifoldsincludes a plurality of nozzles N such that when pressurized water is fed to either of first and second manifoldsthe corresponding nozzles N spray water W(water spraying W). More specifically, each of the first and second manifoldsis dimensioned and shaped to spray water Won material M being dredged.