Dredging head

Claim 1

A dredging head adapted to be carried by a boom on one end of a movable pumping dredge to loosen and remove material from the bottom of a body of water comprising: an elongated frame including means for attachment to the boom and extending transversely thereof, a suction intake conduit attached to the elongated frame to transmit material into the dredge from the dredging head, a shaft positioned on the frame and including a drive motor mounted on one end of the shaft for rotating the same, a pair of augers having oppositely pitched flighting mounted on the shaft for directing material toward a spacing separating said augers on the shaft, said spacing between the augers positioned adjacent the intake conduit on the frame, a plurality of separate cutting blades being distributed circumferentially on the auger flighting in longitudinally spaced relationship with each blade being connected between adjacent peripheral edges of adjacent flighting to position the blades generally normal to the extent of the flighting to which they are attached, a blade mounting plate positioned on the frame adjacent the peripheral edges of the auger flighting and extending parallel to the shaft, removable cutting blades positioned on the blade mounting plate and distributed along the blade mounting plate to cooperate respectively with the cutting blades on the augers to sever material therebetween, and an adjustable elongated panel pivotally mounted on the frame and above the blade mounting plate having a generally concave under surface overlying the extent of the flighting on the augers to direct flow of water and material around the augers and to the suction intake conduit, said panel having projecting fender members thereon to prevent entrance of large objects into the augers, said plurality of separate cutting blades on each auger flighting each having a plurality of teeth projecting from an edge of the blade and in the direction of rotation of the augers.