GB410900A - Improvements in or relating to apparatus for laying underground cables - Google Patents

Abstract

410,900. Laying cables. COUNTY OF LONDON ELECTRIC SUPPLY CO., Ltd., WOOD, W. J. H., 46, New Broad Street, London, RANSOMES & RAPIER, Ltd., Waterside Iron Works, Ipswich, and BOWTELL, W. J., 32, Victoria Street, London. Dec. 23, 1932, No. 36460. [Class 36.] A cable laying machine comprises a carriage preferably mounted on endless tracks, a cable drum support carried or drawn by the carriage, an excavating unit, comprising combined trench excavating and refilling devices, which is mounted at one side of the carriage outside the endless tracks or their equivalent and which is vertically adjustable as a whole, and means for guiding the cable from the drum into the trench between the excavating and refilling devices. The excavating unit is is preferably provided also with lateral adjustment and means are preferably provided whereby the unit may be used on either side of the machine. In the construction shown, a carriage A running on endless tracks A<1> carries an archshaped superstructure to which is pivotally connected by parallel links C a main excavatorsupporting member D which is vertically adjustable by chains C<3> which pass round hand operated winches C' mounted on a structure C<5>. A girder D to one end of which the excavating unit is bolted or otherwise detachably secured, is mounted in the supporting member D and is laterally adjustable so that it may project on either side of the supporting member D, thereby enabling the excavating unit to be used on either side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3. The excavating unit comprises a chain and bucket excavator E disposed in casing E having discharge shoots E<5>, E<6> through which the material removed by the excavator is returned to the trench. The cable G<2> passes from its drum F<3>, which is carried by a support Fat the rear of the machine, over pulleys G<1> in a guide G, thence round a pulley G<3> attached to casing E<1> of the excavating unit, being finally laid in the trench by pulleys G'which are mounted on a plate G6 attached to the excavating unit. An earth-deflecting plate G<7> may be mounted on the plate G<5>. The cable drum support F may pivot about a vertical axis and may form a jib whereby the drum can be raised into position. A roller H2, which may be used on either side of the machine, consolidates the material returned to the trench. A steel tape J<2>, serving as a warning to future excavators, may be laid above the cable as shown in Fig. 1, the tape being drawn from a gravity braked drum J<1> and guided into the trench by rollers J<3>, the depth at which the tape is laid being controlled by a valve E<8> in the casing of excavator unit which regulates the distribution of excavated material in the discharge shoots E<5>, E<6>. The machine is provided either with a jib N<1> or a trackway whereby the excavating unit may be readily transferred from one side of the machine to the other. The machine is propelled by an engine A<2>, Fig. 2, which drives the sprocket wheels L' of the endless tracks through a gear box L and gearing L<6>-L<1>. The driving wheel C<2> of the excavator is also driven from the engine A<2> through bevel and sprocket drives K-K<7>. In a modified construction the excavating unit has only one discharge shoot and the warning tape is fed immediately in front of this at the desired level.