Device for cutting loose hard ground material

Claim 1

A device for fragmenting hard ground located below water, comprising in combination: a buoyant body and at least one work support means for supporting part of the weight of said body by bearing against hard ground beneath said body, said work support means comprising an upright work pile and a ground-engaging support at the lower end of such pile; a carrier and tie means connecting said carrier at one end to said work support means for allowing the opposite end of the carrier to sweep an arcuate path centered on a vertical axis at least closely adjacent said work pile; a cutter head rotatably carried by said carrier and projecting beyond said opposite end thereof and driving means for rotating said cutter head, said cutter head including at least one uninterrupted foundation and a plurality of rigid cutting members connected to and projecting from said foundation; said tie means comprising clamping means releasably engaging said support means for anchoring said carrier thereto, a stool rotatably carried by said clamping means about said vertical axis, and arm means joining said one end of the carrier to said stool for rotational movement therewith and for movement about a horizontal axis; lateral driving means connecting said clamping means to said carrier for swinging the latter about said vertical axis, said lateral driving means comprising at least one linear hydro-motor; vertical driving means connecting said clamping means to said carrier for swinging the latter about said horizontal axis, said vertical driving means comprising at least one linear hydro-motor; and which means on said body for raising and lowering said carrier and said tie means bodily as a unit.

Claim 2

A device for fragmenting hard ground located below water, comprising in combination: a buoyant body and at least one work support means for supporting part of the weight of said body by bearing against hard ground beneath said body, said work support means comprising an upright work pile and a ground-engaging support at the lower end of such pile; a carrier and tie means connecting said carrier at one end to said work support means for allowing the opposite end of the carrier to sweep an arcuate path centered on a vertical axis at least closely adjacent said work pile; a cutter head rotatably carried by said carrier and projecting beyond said opposite end thereof and driving means for rotating said cutter head, said cutter head including at least one uninterrupted foundation and a plurality of rigid cutting members connected to and projecting from said foundation; said tie means comprising clamping means releasably engaging said support means for anchoring said carrier thereto, a stool rotatably carried by said clamping means about said vertical axis, and arm means joining said one end of the carrier to said stool for rotational movement therewith and for movement about a horizontal axis; lateral driving means connecting said clamping means to said carrier for swinging the latter about said vertical axis, said lateral driving means comprising at least one linear hydro-motor; vertical driving means connecting said clamping means to said carrier for swinging the latter about said horizontal axis, said vertical driving means comprising at least one linear hydro-motor; and which means on said body for raising and lowering said carrier and said tie means bodily as a unit.

Claim 6

A device as claimed in anyone of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4 including a ballast tank for raising the supporting pressure on each work pile.

Claim 10

A device as claimed in anyone of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 8 including adjusting means for varying and fixing the distance of the cutting head from the work pile.

Claim 12

A device as defined in claims 12, 3, 4, 5 or 8 including a suction pipe with a suction nozzle suspended to the tie means for sucking away the ground material cut loose.

Claim 16

A device for fragmenting hard ground located below water, comprising in combination: a buoyant body and at least one work support means for supporting part of the weight of said body by bearing against hard ground beneath said body, and means for causing said work support means to bear against such hard ground; a cutter assembly adapted to be releasably anchored to said work support means; and winch means on said body for raising and lowering said cutter assembly bodily as a unit; said cutter assembly comprising a short, rigid carrier, clamping means for releasably engaging said work support means, tie means connecting said clamping means to one end of said carrier for allowing sweeping movements of said carrier both about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis which are at least closely adjacent said work support means, linear hydro-motor means connecting said clamping means to said carrier for independently sweeping said carrier about said axes, a cutter head rotatably carried by said carrier and projecting from the opposite end thereof, and drive means for rotating said cutter head.

Claim 17

A device for fragmenting hard ground located below water, comprising in combination: a buoyant body and at least one work support means for supporting part of the weight of said body by bearing against hard ground beneath said body, and means for causing said work support means to bear against such hard ground; a cutter assembly adapted to be releasably anchored to said work support means; and winch means on said body for raising and lowering said cutter assembly bodily as a unit; said cutter assembly comprising a short, rigid carrier, clamping means for releasably engaging said work support means, tie means connecting said clamping means to one end of said carrier for allowing sweeping movements of said carrier both about a vertical axis and about a horizontal axis which are at least closely adjacent said work support means, linear hydro-motor means connecting said clamping means to said carrier for independently sweeping said carrier about said axes, a cutter head rotatably carried by said carrier and projecting from the opposite end thereof, and drive means for rotating said cutter head.