GB2391601A

GB2391601A - Cable pull device for pulling in pipes

Info

Publication number: GB2391601A
Application number: GB0327266A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Franz-Josef Puettmann
Original assignee: Tracto Technik GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Tracto Technik GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2001-05-25
Filing date: 2002-05-16
Publication date: 2004-02-11
Also published as: GB0327266D0; WO2003004823A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device which aims to make use of several displacement elements for a longitudinal body (pipe) and/or a tool, instead of a device which is only provided for one type of pipe movement. To achieve this, the inventive device is provided with at least two fasteners for longitudinal body or tool displacement elements. The fasteners and the resulting versatility of use of the device can be achieved because the device comprises means for converting the fastener from a displacement element, a rod assembly for example, into another displacement element, a cable pull for example. Said device is, however, preferably fitted with two fasteners for longitudinal body or tool displacement elements.

Description

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TRACTO-TECHNIK GmbH =__=_=========

Reiherstrabe 2, 57368 Lennestadt ============_===================

"A aratus and method for introducin elongate elements PP g and/or tools into a ground environment" The invention relates to an apparatus and method for 10 introducing elongate elements and/or tools into a ground environment and claims the priority of the German Patent Applications 101 25 848.8, 101 25 861.5 and 101 25 869.0, which are incorporated by reference.

15 In order to pull forward drive elements, in particular elongate elements such as product pipes, into an underground sewer, it is known to exert a pulling or pushing force with the aid of a linkage on the element to be moved underground. An existing bore, an existing 20 old pipe or a burst and split old pipe, for example, is to be viewed as an underground sewer. The use of non-

flexible pulling or pushing linkages substantially necessitates predefined positioning of the linkage drive. Such a drive, which as a rule can be equipped 25 hydraulically or pneumatically, can thus be arranged either in a destination or starting excavation provided for the purpose in the outlet or inlet region of the underground sewer or can be arranged above ground in such a way that the linkage enters the axis of the 30 ground bore in accordance with a specific curvature, but which is limited by the rigidity of the linkage.

Although the use of non-flexible pulling or pushing linkages permits operation in two directions, it maintains the disadvantage of the substantially 35 predefined positioning of the linkage drive.

Alternatively, under certain circumstances, elongate elements or boring tools can be pulled into an opening in the ground with the aid of a pullcable apparatus.

( - 2 For this purpose, various winches and also, recently, a hydraulic pull-cable apparatus are known, as described in DE 100 11 994 Al. This permits the advantages of a hydraulic linear drive to be used without having to 5 position the latter in a starting or destination excavation or having to arrange the latter in the bending radius of the linkage emerging from the ground, but does not permit operation in two directions, since it is not possible to push with the cable.

The pulling force required to pull a pipe in, for example, is frequently high because of the sleeve friction. This requires powerful drive units and, furthermore, in the case of specific materials, there 15 is a danger of overstretching the pipe.

One of the important aims in the further development of horizontal forward drive technology is to provide forward drive systems and methods which permit even 20 problematic ground situations to be overcome. The use of cable drives is not preferred for difficult ground in which the tool or the pipe can get stuck, on account of the fixed direction. A significant development in this connection is the reversible mole, which permits 25 the mole to be freed from a deadlocked situation by reversing the direction of the drive, as is otherwise possible only with a linkage. However, such a reversible mole is expensive and therefore not desired in every case. Furthermore, combinations of moles and 30 linkage drives are known. However, just like the additional use of a winch in order to pull the tool back, this is very complicated in practice.

The invention is, then, based on the object of 35 providing a method with which apparatuses for introducing elongate elements or tools can be used more flexibly. In particular, the invention is based on the object of providing a method with which a linear drive for moving drilling linkages can advantageously be used

( - 3 for pulling elongate elements or boring or widening tools into an underground sewer. Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide corresponding apparatuses. The object is achieved by a method and apparatus according to the independent claims. Advantageous refinements emerge from the dependent claims.

10 The invention is based on the idea of providing the use of a plurality of means of moving an elongate element (pipe) and/or a tool instead of an apparatus which is aimed at only one type of movement of the pipe. This is achieved by providing at least two fastenings for 15 means of moving elongate elements or tools. In this case, the plurality of fastenings and the associated flexibility of the use of the apparatus can be provided by the apparatus having means for converting the fastenings from one means of moving, for example a 20 linkage, to another means of moving, for example a pull cable. However, the apparatus is preferably always equipped with two fastenings for means of moving elongate elements or tools.

25 In particular, a conventional linear drive, which is generally used for a linkage drive, can be employed for the use with a pull-cable device or can be configured in such a way that a use or a conversion of the linear drive permits the use as a pull-cable apparatus for 30 pulling elongate elements or boring or widening tools into an underground sewer.

Suitable elongate elements are any type of lines, linkages or pipes, including long and short pipes. An 35 underground sewer is to be understood to mean any type of bore to be widened, including a pilot bore, a laid pipe including a pipe to be burst or which has burst or is to be split. Tools, or a boring or widening tool, is to be understood to mean all boring, cutting, milling

( - 4 or percussion tools or various types of reamers or other forward drive elements, that is to say including cleaning heads. In this case, the term "cable" is representative of all flexible pulling means which can 5 be used according to the invention. However, the invention can also be used with other forward drive elements, such as drilling heads, back reamers or moles. 10 In particular, the employment of a conventional push/pull device, such as described in DE 41 03 196 A1, for example, as a combination device with a pull-cable apparatus of the type as described in DE 100 11 994 A1 is advantageous. In this case, the linkage drive or 15 pulling drive is either configured in such a way that the pulling elements for the cable can subsequently be connected to the linear drive or are already provided on the linear drive beside the linkage pulling and pushing device. In principle, such a combination 20 device can be implemented with any type of hydraulic or pneumatic linear drive.

The invention permits a single device, as required, both to introduce linkage sections into the ground or 25 to pull them out of the ground, and also permits a cable or other pulling means to be used for the underground horizontal forward drive. Hitherto, two devices were required for this purpose.

30 Thus, depending on the requirements of the building site, for example given adequate space, the drive according to the invention can be used in an excavation in a conventional way, employing linkage sections to be connected or, if there is a lack of space, such as in 35 the case of use in a sewer with manhole and shaft, above ground or, as described in DE 100 11 994 A1, vertically, for the horizontal forward drive. In this case, only one cable has to be inserted into the pulling elements already provided on the device or,

- 5 first of all, the pulling elements have to be inserted into fastenings provided for this purpose. In the case of pulling by means of a cable, the pulling or pushing elements for the linkage can then idle.

The invention can also be used in parallel with the linkage drive. It can be employed with a pull measuring apparatus, in particular for the parallel measurement of the pulling force acting on the elongate 10 element.

The provision of two fastenings for means of moving elongate elements or tools additionally provides the advantage of being able to use at least two cables to 15 pull in the elongate elements or tools, the cables being fixed in different areas. For example, one cable can be fixed in the top area and a second cable in the rear area of a pipe. As a result, by means of one drive can be used for a plurality of types of 20 introduction of the elongate element or tool, which

means more flexible use of the apparatus according to the invention.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cables can 25 be driven or uncoupled independently of each other. In this case, they can be used particularly well for the purpose of both applying a pull at the front end of the elongate element or forward drive head with the first cable, and applying pressure at the rear end of the 30 pipe by means of the pull of the second cable. The latter procedure is particularly suitable for laying short pipes. For this purpose, the respective pipe sections are plugged onto the rear end of the product pipe and, with the aid of the "pushing" cable fixed to 35 a clamping plate, are clamped to one another and pulled into the ground bore. DE 44 27 ll9 Al and DE 196 08 056 Al disclose apparatuses for connecting pipe sections, but all operate by means of a pulling apparatus arranged behind the product pipe.

- 6 - The cable drive used may be the drives or winches known from the prior art, in that, in addition to the one

known drive, at least one further drive is provided, 5 which drives the second or further cable. Furthermore, the invention may also be operated with a compensating apparatus, which ensures uniform distribution of the pulling force exerted on the cables.

10 According to the invention, a preferred drive has at least two of the pulling element groups, as described in DE 100 11 994 Al, which can exert a pulling force on the respective cable, in each case independently of one another. This embodiment can also be implemented with 15 a single drive or with the aid of at least two independent drives, by means of an appropriate control device. With the embodiment described, a forward driving force 20 can be transmitted particularly effectively to underground forward drive elements. For example, a pull cable fixed to the forward drive head can have 15 tonnes applied, and a "push" cable fixed to the rear pipe end can have 5 tonnes applied, so that a total 25 forward driving force of 20 tonnes is produced. The production of the apparatus described in this case requires a fraction of those costs which have to be invested for a conventional winch with a pulling force of 20 tonnes.

One of the cables can also be used for measuring the pulling force acting on the product pipe, for example, in order to avoid overstretching of the pipe.

35 The provision of a plurality of fastenings for means of moving elongate elements or tools additionally makes it possible, in addition to the drive of the forward drive element or of the elongate element, to provide an additional pull-back apparatus, in particular a

( - 7 contraction hose of the type in EP 0 161 750 B1, which shortens when compressed air is applied and, as a result exerts a pull on a fastening, such as a cable.

However, the invention can also be used with other 5 comparable drives, in order for the first time to permit a pull in the direction opposite to the forward drive or, in the case of a push/pull drive or a reversible mole, to fulfill a supporting function. The apparatus can be fixed via a cable to a pipe adapter or 10 tool adapter on the elongate element or the head of the forward drive device and can have a deflection roller, which permits a diversion of force, for example from the vertical to the horizontal, so that upright use in a starting or destination excavation is possible.

According to the invention, for example the apparatus described in EP 0 161 750 B1 can be provided behind a product pipe or other forward drive element as a pull-

back apparatus, which permits the forward drive 20 element, the elongate element to be pulled, or else the loosening of a clamping plate for short pipes, in the direction opposite to the forward drive.

The invention may be used particularly advantageously 25 for pulling in short pipes. For example, the clamping plate or a similar clamping element can be arranged on the product pipe and, by means of the method according to the invention or the apparatus according to the invention, can be pulled off the pipe end pulled in, in 30 order to prepare for the insertion of the next pipe section. This avoids pulling the clamping plate out of the product pipe by hand. In this way, the product pipe can be pulled in step by step, without any manual activity being required, for example for loosening the 35 clamping plate in a shaft of a manhole.

The pull-back apparatus described can consequently be used particularly advantageously when pulling pipes into existing sewers. This is because, in these cases,

( - 8 it is possible to avoid heavy manual work having to be carried out in the region of the narrow and dirt-laden sewer shaft, it being possible, for example, for loosening and placing new pipe sections in the starting 5 shaft to be automated. Furthermore, working in the destination shaft can be avoided completely since, according to the invention, a pull-cable apparatus can be operated above the ground via one or more deflection rollers. The combination of the apparatus according to lO the invention with an automated drive thus permits the entire procedure of pulling in a new pipe, including stepwise attachment of pipe sections, to be controlled from one control position.

15 Alternatively, the pull-back apparatus can be used for cleaning pipes by moving a tool to and fro. For this purpose, instead of a bursting or widening head, a pull head with cleaning elements, such as brushes or scraper elements, is employed. With a preferred embodiment of 20 the pullback apparatus, such as the contraction hose described, particularly effective cleaning of sewers can be carried out, by the to and fro movement of the cleaning head being carried out by means of alternately pulling with the aid of a cable drive at the drilling 25 head tip and with the aid of the contraction hose at the drilling head end.

In addition to the abovedescribed cleaning of sewer pipes, this to and fro movement can also be used for 30 other types of boring operations, such as widening a pilot bore or pulling in pipes. Both during cleaning and during widening, one advantage is that, during the reverse stroke of the head, the debris is transported outward from the pipe or from the bore. This effect can 35 be reinforced by folding elements, which are preferably fixed to the drilling head and fold in during the forward stroke, while they fold out during the reverse stroke and transport soil away.

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In the following text, the invention will be explained in more detail using exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawing, in which: 5 fig. 1 shows an apparatus according to the invention, figs. 2a, b show the apparatus of fig. 1 in use at a manhole, and fig. 3 shows the apparatus of fig. 1 in use with a pull-back apparatus.

Fig. 1 illustrates a linear drive 1 having a frame 2, a 15 carriage 4 arranged on the frame and a hydraulic drive 6. The carriage 4 may be moved to and fro on the frame with the aid of the hydraulic drive 6. The apparatus illustrated in fig. 1 is used in its basic configuration for the horizontal drive of elongate 20 elements and boring tools with the aid of a pull/push linkage, which is inserted into the frame 2 and is connected to the carriage 4 by means of a chuck 8 and is introduced into the ground or pulled out of the ground via a sleeve 10. According to the invention, 25 this linear drive is configured such that, in addition to employment for the pulling and pushing of linkage sections, it is also provided for the pull cable.

For this purpose, the frame 2 is constructed in such a 30 way that the components described below can subsequently be connected thereto, so that, after the conversion, the linear drive has the design illustrated in fig. 1 for pulling cables. However, the components can also be provided on the frame from the start.

To this end, the basic frame is provided with cable clamps 20, 22, 30, 32 for pulling and holding two tensioning cables 26, 36, which can be operated independently of each other. Depending on the

- 10 arrangement of the linear drive 1 on the surface of the ground in the vertical in the destination or starting excavation or in the horizontal on the plane of the hole in the ground, deflection rollers 28, 38 can 5 additionally be provided.

For the purpose of the independent operation of the tensioning cables 26, 36, the clamping jaw 30 is connected to the hydraulic drive of the basic frame 2 10 and arranged on the carriage 4 such that it can move linearly, while the clamping jaw 20 is connected to the basic frame via an additional linear drive 24. As a result of moving the clamping jaws 20 and 30 to and fro, in each case a specific section of the cable 26 or 15 36 is passed over on the forward stroke and the cable 26 or 36 is pulled back during the reverse movement on account of the adhesive friction originating from the clamping jaws 20, 30. The stationary clamping jaws 22, 32 are used to fix the cable during the forward stroke 20 of the movable clamping jaws 20, 30 and, in this way, to effect directed movement of the cable 26, 36.

The cable 36 can preferably be used as a pull cable for a forward drive element 42 located in the hole 90 in 25 the ground (see fig. 2a), in which, in the form illustrated in fig. 2a, a hose 44 is pulled in. The cable 26, as a tensioning cable, can be connected to the pipe or hose located in the forward drive head and, at the same time, can be connected to a pulling force 30 measuring unit (not illustrated) on the basic frame of the linear drive, in order to avoid overstretching of the pipe to be pulled in on account of the adhesive friction of the hole in the ground.

35 However, the tensioning cable 26 can also be led through the pipe and fixed to the rear end of the pipe, in order to assist the underground forward drive of the pipe (see fig. 2b). To this end, a clamping plate 48, to which the pulling force of the cable 26 is

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transmitted, is arranged at the rear end of the pipe 46. Without the apparatus according to the invention, the forward drive force applied in this way to the forward drive element or the pipe to be pulled in can 5 be achieved only with powerful and expensive winches.

In order to loosen the clamping plate 48, a pull-back apparatus can be used.

10 Fig. 3 shows the employment of such a pull-back apparatus in the form of a contraction hose 200 arranged vertically in a shaft 100 with a deflection roller 220. The hose 200 is used with the linear drive 1 to pull in a pipe 46 comprising short pipe sections.

15 The contraction hose 200 is connected to a compressed air source (not illustrated) and has fibers arranged in a diamond shape which, when compressed air is applied to the hose, lead to longitudinal contraction of the hose because of radial expansion. The contraction hose 20 200 is connected via a cable 240 to the clamping plate 48, with which the individual pipe sections 46 can be pulled into one another. In order to insert a new pipe section, the contraction hose 200 is actuated so that the contraction plate 48 is pulled off the rear pipe 25 section 46 via the cable 240. A new pipe section can then readily be fitted and, with the aid of a pull cable 36, can be fixed in the pipe section 46 already in the ground.

30 In an analogous arrangement, the contraction hose is also suitable for use with cleaning and milling tools in the underground sewer. In this case, a pull can be applied to a cleaning or milling head in one direction by the linear drive via the cable 36 and in the 35 opposite direction by the contraction hose via the cable 36, so that said cleaning or milling head processes the sewer wall 40 in the course of a to and fro movement.

Claims

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Patent claims

1. An apparatus for moving pipes, characterized by at least two fastenings for means of moving 5 longitudinal elements and/or tools.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized by a linear drive for moving drilling linkages and means of converting the linkage drive to a cable 10 drive. 3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized by a linear drive for boring in the ground, which is constructed both for moving 15 drilling linkages and for moving a cable (26; 36).

4. The apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized by two means of moving longitudinal elements and/or tools.

5. The apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized by a linear drive (1) for moving drilling linkages and an additional device (20, 22; 30, 32) for pulling a cable (26; 36).

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 4 for pulling longitudinal elements or a tool into an underground sewer by means of a pull cable, characterized by two cable drives.

The apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterized by a pull-cable device having at least two independent cable drives for the decoupled pulling of the cables (26, 36).

8. The apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized by clamping jaws (20, 22; 30, 32) for transmitting the pulling force to the cable (26; 36).

- 13 9. The apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one cable (26) is connected to a pulling force measurement.

5 10. A system for moving tools or elongate elements through a hole (40) in the ground, having a drive (1) for the forward drive of the tool or elongate element (46) and a pull-back apparatus (200) that is separated spatially from the drive (1).

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the pullback apparatus is constructed as a contraction hose (200).

15 12. A system having an apparatus as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized by a pull-back apparatus (200) at the opening (100) of the hole in the ground which is opposite the pull-cable apparatus (1).

13. The system as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pull-back apparatus has a deflection roller for a pull-back cable (240).

14. The system as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pull-back apparatus (200) is arranged in the vertical.

30 15. The system as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized by a contraction hose (200).

16. A method of pulling elongate elements and/or a tool into an underground sewer, characterized by 35 the use of a plurality of means of moving.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, characterized by the use of two cables (26, 36) for pulling in the elongate element or the tool.

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18. The method as claimed in claim 16 or 17, characterized by the use of two cables (26, 36) which can be uncoupled or are uncoupled.

5 19. The method one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that one cable (36) is used to pull in a tool, and a further cable (26) is used to pull in an elongate element (46).

10 20. The method as claimed in one of claims 16 to 19, characterized in that the elongate element (46) or the tool is pulled in by a cable (36) which is fixed in the front area of the elongate element, and is pulled into the bore by a further cable 15 (26) which is fixed in the rear area of the elongate element.

21. The method as claimed in one of claims 16 to 20, characterized in that one cable (26) is used to 20 measure the pulling force.

22. The method as claimed in one of claims 16 to 21, characterized by fixing a pull-cable device (20, 22; 30, 32) to 25 a linear drive (1) for drilling linkages, - fixing a cable to the object to be pulled in, inserting the cable into the pull-cable apparatus - pulling in the object to be pulled in with the 30 aid of the linear drive (1) via the cable (26; 36) and - simultaneously moving the object to be pulled in by means of a linkage.

35 23. The method as claimed in one of claims 16 to 22 for moving a forward drive element or an elongate element in a horizontal opening in the ground with the aid of a drive directed forward, characterized by the use of an

- 15 additional, spatially separated, drive (200) i for a reverse movement of the forward drive element (46).

5 24. The method as claimed in claim 23, characterized in that a contraction hose (200) is used for the reverse movement.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23 or 24, 10 characterized in that the tool is subjected to a to and fro movement by means of alternate operation of the drive (1) directed forward and the pull-back apparatus (200).

15 26. A method of pulling lines or drilling tools into horizontal holes in the ground, characterized by - fixing a pull-cable device (20, 22; 30, 32) to a linear drive (1) for drilling linkages, -

20 - fixing a cable to the object to be pulled in, - inserting the cable into the pull-cable apparatus and - pulling in the object to be pulled in with the aid of the linear drive (1) via the cable 25 (26; 36).

27. The method as claimed in one of claims 16 to 26, characterized in that the pulling force of the elongate element (46) is measured.