US3751927A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for entrenching submerged elongate structures
Assignee: Brown and Root Inc
•
Filing: 1972-02-22
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Granted: 1973-08-14
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Expires: 1992-02-22
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for entrenching submerged elongated structures such as pipelines and the like, including a skid frame having port and starboard pontoon runners with a box frame operable to bridge the pontoon runners over a pipeline to be entrenched. The box frame includes a first and second set of upper and lower pontoon spanning supports. Each of the supports includes inwardly facing port and starboard guide rails. Vertically and horizontally adjustable port and starboard cutter and eductor heads are ruggedly supported from the box frame guide rails and extend in close proximity to the surfaces of a pipeline to be entrenched. The port and starboard cutter and eductor heads both have a generally vertical-slant-vertical configuration so that the cutter and eductor heads extend along the lateral surfaces of the pipeline, slope beneath the pipeline and extend vertically beneath the pipeline. The head configuration enables the apparatus to rapidly and efficiently cut a trench having generally vertical side walls within the bed of the body of water and educt the loosened soil or detritus material to permit the pipeline to descend within a narrow walled trench within the bed of the body of water.
Inventors
- 👤 J Perot
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 06:32
CPC Classifications
E; E02; E02F; E02F5/00; E02F5/02; E02F5/10; E02F5/104; E02F5/107; E02F5/108; E02F9/00; E02F9/06; E02F9/067; F; F16; F16L; F16L3/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
476 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water comprising: a frame operable to be lowered over and transported along a submerged pipeline to be entrenched; and means connected to said frame for cutting a trench beneath a submerged pipeline within the bed of the body of water comprising, a first cutter head including a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable genErally vertically along one side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, and a second cutter head including, a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable generally vertically along an opposite side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, wherein said first conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and are operatively adapted to extend generally vertically on opposite sides of a pipeline to be entrenched, and said third conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and extend generally vertically beneath a pipeline to be entrenched whereby the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said first conduit segments is greater than the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said third conduit segments.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
476 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water comprising: a frame operable to be lowered over and transported along a submerged pipeline to be entrenched; and means connected to said frame for cutting a trench beneath a submerged pipeline within the bed of the body of water comprising, a first cutter head including a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable genErally vertically along one side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an obtuse angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, and a second cutter head including, a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable generally vertically along an opposite side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, wherein said first conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and are operatively adapted to extend generally vertically on opposite sides of a pipeline to be entrenched, and said third conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and extend generally vertically beneath a pipeline to be entrenched whereby the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said first conduit segments is greater than the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said third conduit segments.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
109 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 1 and further comprising: means connected to said frame for withdrawing particles of fluidized matter from adjacent said means for cutting comprising, a first eductor head having first, second and third conduit segments positioned adjacent to and extending generally coextensive with said first, second and third conduit segments respectively of said first cutter head, and a second eductor head having first, second and third conduit segments positioned adjacent to and extending generally coextensive with said first, second and third conduit segments respectively of said second cutter head.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
79 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 2 and further comprising: means connecting said first cutter head and said first eductor head to said frame for independent horizontal and vertical adjustability thereof with respect to said frame, and means connecting said second cutter head and said second eductor head to said frame for independent horizontal and vertical adjustability thereof with respect to said frame.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
235 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and thE like within the bed of a body of water comprising: a burying sled, including first and second pontoon skids having generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes, said pontoon skids being operably spaced to straddle a submerged pipeline to be entrenched, and a box frame bridging said first and second spaced pontoon skids including, a first set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the longitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, and a second set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the longitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, said second set of spanning beams extending generally parallel with respect to said first set of spanning beams and being offset with respect thereto, a cutter and eductor head operably mounted between said first set of spanning beams and said second set of spanning beams on the port side of said burying sled for independent vertical and horizontal adjustment with respect thereto; and a cutter and eductor head operably mounted between said first set of spanning beams and said second set of spanning beams on the starboard side of said burying sled for independent vertical and horizontal adjustment with respect thereto.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
235 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and thE like within the bed of a body of water comprising: a burying sled, including first and second pontoon skids having generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes, said pontoon skids being operably spaced to straddle a submerged pipeline to be entrenched, and a box frame bridging said first and second spaced pontoon skids including, a first set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the longitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, and a second set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the longitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, said second set of spanning beams extending generally parallel with respect to said first set of spanning beams and being offset with respect thereto, a cutter and eductor head operably mounted between said first set of spanning beams and said second set of spanning beams on the port side of said burying sled for independent vertical and horizontal adjustment with respect thereto; and a cutter and eductor head operably mounted between said first set of spanning beams and said second set of spanning beams on the starboard side of said burying sled for independent vertical and horizontal adjustment with respect thereto.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 4 wherein said first and second pontoon skids include: first and second longitudinally extending plate members having an arc shaped cross-sectional configuration connected in juxtaposition to a bottom portion of said first and second pontoon skids respectively.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
135 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 4 and further comprising: upper and lower guide rails connected on the port side of said first set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively; upper and lower guide rails connected on the starboard side of said first set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively; upper and lower guide rails connected on the port side of said second set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively; and upper and lower guide rails connected on the starboard side of said second set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 6 wherein said guide rails include: generally horizontally extending T-shaped slots.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
65 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 6 and further comprising: a plurality of lock rails, one being connected to and extending generally coextensive with each of said upper and lower, port and starboard guide rails on said first set of spanning beams and said second set of spanning beams.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 8 wherein each of said lock rails includes: a plurality of horizontally spaced locking apertures; and a locking bolt operably connected to the locking rail adjacent each of said horizontally spaced locking apertures.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
247 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 6 and further comprising: a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending cantilever support arms extending from each of the fore and aft portions of said port and starboard cutter and eductor heads, each one of said support arms is fitted with aN end element and connected thereto,and said support arms being operably vertically spaced so that, a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the fore portion of said port cutter and eductor head are selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the port side of said first set of spanning beams, and a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the aft portion of said port cutter and eductor head are concurrently selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the port side of said second set of spanning beams, and a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the fore portion of said starboard cutter and eductor head are selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the starboard side of said first set of spanning beams, and a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the aft portion of said starboard cutter and eductor head are concurrently selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the starboard side of said second set of spanning beams.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
110 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 10 and further comprising: a port adjustment motor connected between said box frame and said port cutter and eductor head for horizontally adjusting said cutter and eductor head upon said guide rails on the port side of said first and second set of spanning beams; and a starboard adjustment motor connected between said box frame and said starboard cutter and eductor head for horizontally adjusting the starboard cutter and eductor head upon said guide rails on the starboard side of said first and second set of spanning beams.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 10 wherein: said guide rails comprise horizontally extending T-slots; and said end elements comprise horizontally extending T-shaped fittings operably engageable within a corresponding guide rail T-slot.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
170 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 12 and further comprising: a plurality of lock rails, one being connected to and extending generally coextensive with each of said upper and lower, port and starboard guide rails on the first set of spanning beams and the second set of spanning beams; said lock rails each include, a plurality of horizontally spaced locking apertures, and a locking bolt operably connected to the locking rail adjacent each of said horizontally spaced locking apertures; said T-shaped fittings each include in a lower portion thereof a pair of horizontally spaced apertures operably spaced for alignment with said locking apertures in one of said locking rails whereby a pair of locking bolts may be selectively engageable through a corresponding pair of apertures in said T-shaped fittings and said locking rails to maintain a desired horizontal position of the port and starboard cutter and eductor heads with respect to said box frame.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
599 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water comprising: a burying sled, including first and second pontoon skids having generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes, said pontoon skids being operably spaced to straddle a submerged pipeline to be entrenched, and a box frame bridging said first and second spaced pontoon skids including, a first set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the longitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, and a second set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the loNgitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, said second set of spanning beams extending generally parallel with respect to said first set of spanning beams and being offset with respect thereto; and means connected to said burying sled for cutting a trench beneath a submerged pipeline within the bed of the body of water comprising: a first cutter head including, a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable generally vertically along one side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having: a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, and a second cutter head including, a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable generally vertically along an opposite side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, wherein said first conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and are operatively adapted to extend generally vertically on opposite sides of a pipeline to be entrenched, and said third conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and extend generally vertically beneath a pipeline to be entrenched whereby the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said first conduit segments is greater than the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said third conduit segments.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
599 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water comprising: a burying sled, including first and second pontoon skids having generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes, said pontoon skids being operably spaced to straddle a submerged pipeline to be entrenched, and a box frame bridging said first and second spaced pontoon skids including, a first set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the longitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, and a second set of upper and lower vertically spaced horizontally extending spanning beams connected between said first and second spaced pontoon skids and extending generally normally with respect to the loNgitudinal axes of said pontoon skids, said second set of spanning beams extending generally parallel with respect to said first set of spanning beams and being offset with respect thereto; and means connected to said burying sled for cutting a trench beneath a submerged pipeline within the bed of the body of water comprising: a first cutter head including, a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable generally vertically along one side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having: a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, and a second cutter head including, a first conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis operably positionable generally vertically along an opposite side of a pipeline to be entrenched, said first conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a second conduit segment connected at one end to said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said second conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, a third conduit segment connected at one end to the other end of said second conduit segment, said third conduit segment having a central longitudinal axis extending at an angle with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said second conduit segment and generally parallel with respect to the central longitudinal axis of said first conduit segment, said third conduit segment having, a plurality of jetting apertures fashioned therein, wherein said first conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and are operatively adapted to extend generally vertically on opposite sides of a pipeline to be entrenched, and said third conduit segments of said first and second cutter heads have generally mutually parallel central longitudinal axes and extend generally vertically beneath a pipeline to be entrenched whereby the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said first conduit segments is greater than the perpendicular distance between the generally mutually parallel longitudinal axes of said third conduit segments.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
110 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 14 and further comprising: means connected to said burying sled for withdrawing particles of fluidized material from adjacent said means for cutting comprising: a first eductor head having first, second and third conduit segments positioned adjacent to and extending generally coextensive with said first, second and third conduit segments respectively of said first cutter head, and a second eductor head having first, second and third conduit segments positioned adjacent to and extending generally coextensive with said first, second and third conduit segments respectively of said second cutter head.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
135 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of watEr as defined in claim 14 and further comprising: upper and lower guide rails connected on the port side of said first set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively; upper and lower guide rails connected on the starboard side of said first set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively; upper and lower guide rails connected on the port side of said second set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively; and upper and lower guide rails connected on the starboard side of said second set of spanning beams to said upper and lower vertically spaced spanning beams respectively.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
246 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 16 and further comprising: a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending support arms extending from each of the fore and aft portions of said port and starboard cutter and eductor heads, each one of said support arms is fitted with an end element connected thereto, and said support arms being operably vertically spaced so that; a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the fore portion of said port cutter and eductor head are selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the port side of said first set of spanning beams, and a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the aft portion of said port cutter and eductor head are concurrently selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the port side of said second set of spanning beams, and a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the fore portion of said starboard cutter and eductor head are selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the starboard side of said first set of spanning beams, and a pair of the plurality of support arms extending from the aft portion of said starboard cutter and eductor head are concurrently selectively engageable with the upper and lower guide rails on the starboard side of said second set of spanning beams.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
49 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 17 wherein : said guide rails comprise horizontally extending T-slots; and said end elements comprise horizontally extending T-shaped fittings operably engageable within a corresponding guide rail T-slot.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
170 words
An apparatus for entrenching a submerged pipeline and the like within the bed of a body of water as defined in claim 18 and further comprising: a plurality of lock rails, one being connected to and extending generally coextensive with each of said upper and lower port and starboard guide rails on the first set of spanning beams and the second set of spanning beams; said lock rails each include, a plurality of horizontally spaced locking apertures, and a locking bolt operably connected to the locking rail adjacent each of said horizontally spaced locking apertures; said T-shaped fittings each include in a lower portion thereof a pair of horizontally spaced apertures operably spaced for alignment with said locking apertures in one of said locking rails whereby a pair of locking bolts may be selectively engageable through a corresponding pair of apertures in said T-shaped fittings and said locking rails to maintain a desired horizontal position of the port and starboard cutter and eductor heads with respect to said box frame.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-08-13 | 1977-02-12 | 1977-08-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-08-13 | 1981-02-12 | 1981-08-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-08-13 | 1985-02-12 | 1985-08-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |