Dredging Apparatus

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/651,774, filed May 24, 2024, entitled “Dredging Apparatus,” the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference and relied upon.

The present disclosure relates to a dredging apparatus. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a dredging apparatus configured to float on the surface of a liquid and having or being connected to a pump system.

There is a need for more efficient and scalable dredging equipment for removing slurry, sludge, and solids from ponds, lagoons, canals, tailings ponds, settling tanks, and the like. In some situations, it may be impractical to perform dredging with land-based equipment, such as an excavator fitted with a dredging tool. But the reach of such land-based equipment from the shore is limited, and heavy work machines capable of performing the work are large and expensive.

The present disclosure provides a floating type dredging apparatus with improved scalability, usability, storage convenience, and pumping capacity.

In view of the state of the known technology, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a dredging apparatus that includes a float assembly, a support frame, and a suction head assembly. The float assembly is configured to float on the surface of a liquid. The support frame is connected to the float assembly. The suction head assembly is movably supported with respect to the float assembly by the support frame. The support frame is tiltable with respect to the float assembly between a first position and a second position.

In an embodiment, the suction head assembly includes a pump and a hose having one end connected to the pump.

In an embodiment, the float assembly includes an opening dimensioned such that the suction head assembly can pass through the opening.

In an embodiment, the support frame includes an elongated guide member and a hoist device configured to raise and lower the elongated guide member, and the suction head assembly is attached to one end of the elongated guide member such that the suction head assembly can be raised and lowered with respect to the float assembly by raising and lowering the elongated support member.

In an embodiment, the elongated guide member is oriented substantially vertically when the support frame is in the first position while the float assembly is floating on the surface of the liquid, and the elongated guide member is oriented substantially horizontally when the support frame is in the second position while the float assembly is floating on the surface of the liquid.

In an embodiment, the float assembly includes an opening through which the elongated guide member extends when the suction head assembly is lowered below the float assembly, and the opening is dimensioned such that the suction head assembly can pass through the opening.

In an embodiment, the support frame, the suction head assembly, and the opening are configured such that the support frame can be tilted from the first position to the second position without removing the suction head assembly when the elongated guide member is raised to a first height position or higher.

In an embodiment, the suction head assembly includes a pump and a hose having one end connected to the pump, the opening is a first opening, and the float assembly includes a second opening that communicates between an exterior of the float assembly and the first opening, the second opening being dimensioned to permit the hose to extend into the first opening via the second opening.

In an embodiment, the support frame, the suction head assembly, and the opening are configured such that the support frame can be tilted from the first position to a maximum tilt angle of 60 degrees toward the second position while the elongated guide member is positioned lower than a second height position.

In an embodiment, the second height position is a position where the suction head assembly is disposed below the float assembly while the float assembly is floating on the surface of the liquid.

In an embodiment, the dredging apparatus includes a pump, a suction hose having one end connected to a suction side of the pump and another end attached to the suction head assembly, and a discharge hose having one end connected to a discharge side of the pump.

In an embodiment, the dredging apparatus includes an auxiliary float assembly, the pump being arranged on the auxiliary float assembly.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary float assembly is configured to be attached to the float assembly.

In an embodiment, the dredging apparatus includes a land support assembly configured to be arranged on a shore of the liquid, the pump being arranged on the land support assembly.

In an embodiment, the support frame includes at least one tilt member configured and arranged to tilt the support frame with respect to the float assembly.

In an embodiment, the dredging apparatus includes a pair of longitudinal base members arranged spaced apart in a widthwise direction of the float assembly and extending in a longitudinal direction of the float assembly, the pair of longitudinal base members being fixed with respect to the float assembly, and the at least one tilt member includes a first tilt member mounted to one of the pair of longitudinal base members and a second tilt member mounted to the other of the pair of longitudinal base members.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a dredging apparatus that includes a float assembly, a support frame, a suction head assembly, a suction hose and a discharge hose. The float assembly is configured to float on a surface of a liquid. The support frame is connected to the float assembly. The suction head assembly is movably supported with respect to the float assembly by the support frame. The suction hose has one end connected to a suction side of a pump and another end attached to the suction head assembly. The discharge hose has one end connected to a discharge side of the pump

In an embodiment, the dredging apparatus includes an auxiliary float assembly, the pump being arranged on the auxiliary float assembly.

In an embodiment, the auxiliary float assembly is configured to be attached to the float assembly.

In an embodiment, the dredging apparatus includes a land support assembly configured to be arranged on a shore of the liquid, the pump being arranged on the land support assembly.

As will be described in more detail, embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved performance, usability, storage convenience and pumping capacity. In particular, the tilt feature of the support frame enables the suction head assembly to be oriented at an angle with respect to the float assembly during dredging work to facilitate moving the suction head assembly along a sloped bottom surface. Additionally, tilting the support frame to a second position in which the elongated guide member is substantially horizontal enables the dredging apparatus to achieve a more compact profile for easier storage and transport. Moreover, the feature of arranging the pump on an auxiliary float assembly or a land support assembly enables a larger pump to be used regardless of the size of the float assembly. These various features enable the claimed dredging apparatus to be designed in accordance with a user's needs with a high degree of design freedom.

Other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the systems and methods disclosed herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses exemplary embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods.

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.

illustrate an example embodiment of a dredging apparatus or dredge sled(hereinafter “dredging apparatus”) configured in accordance with the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the dredging apparatusincludes a float assembly, a support frameand a suction head assembly. The support frameis configured to raise and lower the suction head assemblywhile the float assemblyfloats on a liquid. The liquid can be water in a pond, lagoon, canal, settling tank or other body of water, and can be water that contains slurry, sludge, or solids which are removed from the liquid by the suction head assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the float assemblyincludes a pair of lateral float members or pontoons(hereinafter “lateral float members”) and/or a middle float member. The lateral float membersand/or the middle float member can be made of plastic, fiberglass, metal or another suitable material with sufficient buoyancy to float on the liquid surface LS while supporting the support frameand the suction head assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral float membersare spaced apart from each other in a widthwise direction, and the middle float memberis located between the lateral float membersin the widthwise direction. As used herein, the widthwise direction of the float assemblyis the generally horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction in which the float assemblyis moved along the surface of the liquid during dredging work (e.g., up/down in), and the longitudinal direction of the float assemblyis the forward/reverse direction in which the float assemblyis moved along the surface of the liquid during dredging work (e.g., left/right in).

In an embodiment, each of the lateral float memberscan have an annular hollow shape with a central hollow interior and can be sealed to contain air and act as a float. Alternatively, the lateral float memberscan contain one or more buoyant bodies such as foam plastic members having a tubular configuration. In another embodiment, a buoyant material (such as foam plastic) can be injected into the hollow interior of the lateral float members. In an embodiment, each of the lateral float memberscan include a plurality of float members stacked on one another in a vertical direction.

In the illustrated embodiment, the middle float memberincludes a central or first opening(hereinafter “central opening”) configured to receive the support frame. The middle float membercan have a generally closed shape surrounding the center opening. That is, from the top plan view, the middle section float membercan have a generally closed shape, such as a circle, an oval, or a rectangle with the central openingin the middle. Alternatively, the middle float membercan be open at one or more side portion so as to have an open shape surrounding the central openingfrom a top plan view, as seen for example in.

In the illustrated embodiment, the middle float memberhas a U shape formed by a front portion, a first side portionand a second side portion. The U shape creates the central openingopening between the front portion, the first side portionand the second side portion, and also creates a side or second opening(hereinafter “side opening”) that enables liquid and/or equipment to be located between liquid surrounding the float assemblyand the central opening. Here, the side openingis provided through a side wall of the middle float member. Preferably, the side openingis provided on a side of the middle float memberwhere the lateral float membersare not provided, such as through a rear side of the middle float memberas seen in. The side openingis dimensioned to permit a hoseto extend into the central opening. Thus, the width of the side openingis preferably larger than a diameter of the hoseso that the hosecan float within the side openingwhen the suction head assemblyis in a raised position with respect to the float assembly, as discussed in more detail below. By providing the side openingon the rear side of the middle float member, the hose is pulled along with the dredging apparatus during use and does not interfere with other equipment.

Similar to the lateral members, the middle float membercan be constructed as a one-piece member or as a plurality of members fitted together. The central openingis dimensioned such that the suction head assemblypasses through the central opening. As discussed in more detail below, the support frameis configured to raise and lower the suction head assemblythrough the central opening. The lateral float membersand the middle float memberare configured such that the lateral float memberscan be easily attached and detached with respect to the middle float member. Preferably, the lateral float membersand the middle float memberare configured such that the work of attaching the lateral float memberscan be easily accomplished by two workers before entering the water or other liquid where the dredging work is being done.

In the illustrated embodiment, the float assemblyhas a flat upper surfacefor mounting the support frameand other equipment. More specifically, the middle float memberhas a flat upper surfacefor mounting the support frameand other equipment, as discussed in more detail below. In an embodiment, the support frameand other equipment can instead be mounted on the lateral support membersor to a combination of the lateral support membersand the middle support member.

The support frameis configured to movably support the suction head assemblyrelative to the float assembly. More specifically, the support frameis configured to support the suction head assemblysuch that the suction head assemblycan be lowered and raised with respect to the float assembly. When the dredging apparatusis used, the suction head assemblyis lowered to a level where sludge, sediment, or other materials to be removed exist. Preferably, the support frameis capable of supporting the suction head assemblywhile the suction head assemblyis lowered to a bottom surface BS below the liquid, e.g., a bottom surface of the pond, lagoon, or other body of water where the dredging apparatusis being used. The float assemblyand the support framecan be configured appropriately in accordance of the depth of the liquid where the dredging apparatuswill be used. As seen for example in, the support framecan have an A-frame like structure including two side membersand a cross memberspanning between the two side members.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support frameincludes one or more elongated guide membersand a hoist device. The hoist deviceis configured to raise and lower the elongated guide memberswith respect to the support frame. The suction head assemblyis attached to one end of the elongated guide memberssuch that the suction head assemblyis raised and lowered with respect to the float assemblyby raising and lowering the elongated guide members.

In the illustrated embodiment, the one or more elongated guide membersinclude a pair of elongated guide membersarranged spaced apart in the widthwise direction of the float assembly. The pair of elongated guide membersare preferably substantially parallel to each other and arranged to interconnect the suction head assemblyand float assembly. This configuration not only provides for vertical guided movement of the suction head assemblyrelative to the float assembly, but also prevents twisting of the suction head assemblyrelative to the float assembly. The length of the elongated guide membersis preferably sufficient to accommodate the deepest portion of the liquid body where dredging work will be conducted.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support frameincludes at least one outer support memberand at least one slide assemblyprovided with respect to each of the elongated guide members. The outer support memberpivotally attaches a side memberto a tilt member, as discussed in more detail below. The slide assemblyis configured to support an elongated guide membersuch that the elongated guide membercan be moved in a telescoping manner relative to the slide assemblyalong a longitudinal direction of the elongated guide member.

In the illustrated embodiment, each of the slide assembliesincludes an opening through which an elongated guide memberis inserted and one or more rollersconfigured to contact opposing surfaces of the elongated guide memberwhile the elongated guide membermoves within the opening. The rollerscan be made of rubber or other flexible material that can grip the surfaces of the elongated guide memberand provide for smooth movement. Alternatively, each of the slide assembliescan include bearings such as a low-friction pad to allow for smooth sliding movement of the elongated guide memberTwo or more slide assembliescan be provided for each elongated guide member. In an embodiment, the slide assembliesare fixed with respect to the support frameand only permit movement of the elongated guide membersin one direction, such as a direction corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the elongated guide members(e.g., up/down in).

In the illustrated embodiment, the hoist deviceis provided on the support frameto move the elongated guide memberswith respect to the support frame. As seen for example in, the hoist deviceincludes at least one drive devicesuch as a hoist winchthat is mounted to the float assemblyor the support frameand configured to move the suction head assemblyup and down together with the elongated guide members. The hoist devicecan further include at least one pullyconnected to the support frameand at least one cableconnected to the suction head assembly. The hoist devicecan raise and lower the suction head assemblyby reeling in and reeling out the cable. In the illustrated embodiment, the pulleyis fixed to the support frameand disposed between the hoist winchand the suction head assembly. The pulleyis also disposed between the pair of elongated support membersand above the suction head assembly. The pulleycan include two or more pulleyslocated near each other or at separate locations.

In an embodiment, the drive devicecan include a gear wheel configured to engage with gear teeth provided on the elongated guide member. The drive devicecan include an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, or other drive source for driving the gear wheel. The drive devicecan be provided separately from the slide assembliesor incorporated into the slide assemblies. That is, one or more drive devicecan be incorporated into one of the slide assemblies, or one or more drive devicecan be incorporated into each of two or more of the slide assemblies. One or more drive devicescan also be provided with respect to each of the elongated guide members.

In an embodiment, the elongated guide membersare pivotally connected to the suction head assemblyIn such an embodiment, the elongated guide membersare preferably pivotally connected to the suction head assemblysuch that the suction bead assemblycan pivot about a substantially horizontal pivot axis. In an embodiment, the pivot axis extends in a direction parallel to a widthwise direction of the float assemblyA pair of elongated guide memberscan also be pivotally connected to opposite ends of the suction head assembly.

In an embodiment, an elongated guide memberor each of the elongated guide memberscan be configured with a visual indication of the operating depth of the suction head assembly. Thus, as the suction head assemblyis raised or lowered by operation of the hoist winch, the elongated guide membersimultaneously move up and down to guide and support the suction head assembly. The extent that the elongated guide memberis visible above the float assemblyindicates the operating depth of the suction head assembly. One or both of the elongated guide memberscan have markings thereon to indicate depth of operation of the suction head assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support frameis tiltable with respect to the float assemblybetween a first position and a second position.show the first position, whileshow the second position. The first position is a position of the support framewith respect to the float assemblyin which the elongated guide memberis oriented substantially vertically when the float assemblyis floating on the liquid surface LS. In other words, the first position is a position in which the elongated guide memberis oriented substantially perpendicular with respect to the upper surfaceof the float assembly. The second position is a position of the support framewith respect to the float assemblyin which the elongated guide memberis oriented substantially horizontally when the float assemblyis floating on the liquid surface LS. In other words, the second position is a position in which the elongated guide memberis oriented substantially parallel to the upper surfaceof the float assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support frameincludes a pair of longitudinal base membersspaced apart in the widthwise direction of the float assemblyand extending in the longitudinal direction of the float assembly. The longitudinal base membersare connected to and/or support other parts of the dredging apparatussuch as parts of the support frame. The longitudinal base membersare fixedly attached to the float assembly, for example, by one or more fasteners, by welding, with an adhesive, or the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal base membersare attached to the flat upper surfaceof the float assembly. The longitudinal base memberscan also be formed integrally with the float assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal base membersare provided on the middle float member, but the longitudinal base memberscan also be provided on the lateral side members.

The support frameis preferably tiltable about a tilt axis that extends in the widthwise direction of the float assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, the support frameincludes a tilt shaftand a tilt shaft support. Each tilt shaft supportis attached to a longitudinal base memberand thus fixed with respect to the float assembly, and each tilt shaftis pivotally supported by and rotates within the tilt shaft support. The tilt shaftis attached to a side member, such that the side memberand the tilt shaft rotate together around the center axis of the tilt shaft supportas suction head assemblytilts between positions as discussed herein. In the illustrated embodiment, the support frameincludes a pair of tilt shaft supportson opposite sides of the float assemblyand spaced apart in a widthwise direction of the float assembly. The tilt shaftcan be a single shaft that spans in the widthwise direction of the float assemblybetween the pair of tilt shaft supports. Alternatively, the tilt shaftcan include two separate tilt shaftson opposite sides of the support frame.

The support framealso includes at least one tilt memberconfigured to tilt the support framewith respect to the float assembly. More specifically, the tilt memberis configured to tilt the support framebetween the first position (e.g.,) and the second position (e.g.,). In the illustrated embodiment, the tilt memberincludes an elongated inner cylinder and outer cylinder which telescope to extend and contract the overall length of the tilt member.show the tilt memberin its contracted state, andshow the tilt member in its extended state.show the tilt memberin an intermediate extended state between the fully contracted and fully extended states. Thus, the tilt memberexpands as the support framemoves from the first position shown into the second position shown in, and contracts as the support framemoves from the second position shown into the first position shown in. The tilt membercan include a hydraulic cylinder, an electric cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or the like.

The tilt memberis configured to exert a force against the support frameto tilt the support framewith respect to the float assemblyabout the tilt axis. As seen for example in, tilt memberhas a first endand a second end. The first endis pivotally connected to the support frameand the second endis pivotally connected to the float assembly. More specifically, the first endis pivotally connected to the outer support memberand/or the side members, and the second end is pivotally connected to the longitudinal base member. In the illustrated embodiment, the tilt memberincludes first tilt memberpivotally mounted to one of the longitudinal base membersand a second tilt memberpivotally mounted to the other of the longitudinal base members.

As discussed above, the middle float memberincludes a central opening(or “first opening”) dimensioned such that the suction head assemblycan pass therethrough. The elongated support memberextends downward through the central openingwhen the suction head assemblyis lowered into the liquid below the float assembly. Preferably, the support frame, the suction head assembly, and the central openingare configured such that the support framecan be tilted from the first position to the second position without removing the suction head assemblywhen the elongated guide memberis raised to a first height position or higher. There is a limit to how far the support framecan be tilted from the first position when the suction head assemblyis submersed in the liquid below the float assemblybecause the elongated guide memberwill extend to a depth that is larger than a dimension of the central openingin the longitudinal direction of the float assembly. However, when the suction head assemblyis raised to a first height position or higher, the suction head assemblyand the elongated guide membersare positioned either completely above the upper surface of the float assemblyor only slightly below the upper surface of the float assembly. Therefore, when the suction head assemblyis at or above the first height position, it is possible to tilt the support framefully to the second position without any interference between the float assemblyand the suction head assemblyand/or the elongated guide members. The tilting feature enables the height of the elongated guide membersand the support frameto be greatly reduced. As a result, the clearance for passing under bridges and other low obstructions can be provided. Also, the dredging apparatuscan be placed in a container or on a truck more easily for storage and shipping. Tilting the support framecan also provide access to the bottom of the suction head assemblyfor maintenance purposes and clearing debris from the suction head assemblyor an agitation device(described later) provided on the suction head assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment, the support frame, the suction head assembly, and the central openingare configured such that the support framecan be tilted from the first position to a maximum tilt angle of 60 degrees toward the second position even while the elongated guide memberis positioned lower than a second height position. The second height position is a position where the suction head assemblyis disposed below the float assemblywhile the float assemblyis floating on the surface of the liquid. The dimension of the central openingin the longitudinal direction of the float assemblyis large enough to permit tilting the support frameto 60 degrees from the first position toward the second position without the elongated guide memberscontacting the float assemblywhile the suction head assemblyis submerged in the liquid below the float assembly. Alternatively, the dredging apparatuscan be configured to permit tilting the support frameup to a smaller angle, e.g., 15, 30, or 45 degrees, from the first position toward the second position while the suction head assemblyis submerged in the liquid below the float assembly. In particular, if it is known that steep slopes will not be encountered during dredging work, then the longitudinal dimension of the central openingcan be reduced and the float assemblycan be made more compact by configuring the dredging apparatusto accommodate a smaller angular tilt range when the suction head assemblyis submerged. Theoretically, any angular tilt range is possible, but the dimension of the central openingin the longitudinal direction of the float assemblymay need to be impractically large to accommodate an angular tilt range larger than 60 degrees.