Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a motor-driven unit for clearing mines from and securing a hazardous route. According to the present method, system and device, a marker apparatus for a secured route is a liquid material for marking on the ground, and comprising dispensing members for providing one axial marking and two side markings on either side of said axial marking, respectively, for said route.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a national phase application under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT Application No. PCT/FR2010/050463, filed Mar. 16, 2010, which claims the benefit of French application Ser. No. 09/01275 filed Mar. 19, 2009, the contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF ART 
     The present disclosure relates to a motor-driven unit for clearing mines from and securing a hazardous route, such as a track or a road of a conflict area, able to comprise mines or other explosive devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     To this end, the motor-driven unit should not only carry out mine clearing from the relevant route through anti-mine means carried by said unit and allowing, upon their passage, for the detection and/or the activation of explosive loads of mines and other devices, but it should also provide securing the mine cleared track by means of an appropriate beaconing equipment so as to allow, after the unit has passed, the traffic of other vehicles or convoys in complete safety. 
     This is, for instance, the case of the motor-driven unit described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,515, comprising a vehicle such as a tank, at the front of which anti-mine means are arranged as a pressing roll activating the latter, and at the rear of which a beaconing equipment is mounted as individual marking blocks arranged evenly and automatically in the central longitudinal axis of the track being followed by the vehicle. Thus, the follower vehicles of such a leading vehicle guide their progress relying on the aligned central blocks. 
     However, such a beaconing equipment imposes a significant clutter, because of the high number of blocks to be stored for marking a track with beacons, and, consequently, a beaconing distance limited to a few kilometers. Moreover, guiding the follower vehicles using central spaced apart blocks does not occur in a stringent and accurate way, so that a follower vehicle could become more or less off-centered with respect to the alignment of the blocks and laterally deviate from the track, then driving on a mine. 
     Furthermore, if this type of marking block beaconing is well appropriate for beaconing a substantially flat route in a good condition, on the other hand, when the route is uneven and has bankings, reliefs or stony areas, the arranged blocks are able to fall, and to no longer correctly indicate the route to be followed. Furthermore, when the positioned beacon should be removed for any reason (end of a mission, etc.), the marking blocks should be recovered, requiring a logistics and an additional cost. 
     Moreover, from patent CA-2,234.597, a vehicle is known for detecting land mines comprising anti-mine means and a beaconing equipment for the secured route. The beaconing equipment comprises a marking product and two product dispensing members, respectively arranged on both sides of the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle so as to implement and leave on the ground two lateral markings, the spacing of which corresponds at least to the largest path axle of the vehicle. 
     Although it improves securing tracks, the guidance of vehicles that follow, between the lateral markings, is however unreliable because the marking vehicle is generally no longer visible and can no longer act as a reference point, and that the sight of the driver of the follower vehicle(s) could naturally focus on one of the two markings instead of staying between them. Thereby, the guidance of follower vehicles is inaccurate and is able to deviate from the secured path. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present method, system and device aim at overcoming such drawbacks and relates to a motor-driven unit for clearing mines intended for securing a hazardous route, the design of which allows, more specifically, for beaconing the track on a large distance, an optimum guidance of the follower vehicles and a reliable and secure marking of the route, whatever the track or the road being followed, without having to recover the beaconing equipment. 
     To this end, the motor-driven unit for mine clearing from and securing a hazardous route, of the type comprising anti-mine means and an equipment for beaconing the secured route comprising: 
     a tank containing a marking product; 
     members for dispensing said marking product, respectively arranged on both sides of the central longitudinal axis of said unit so as to implement lateral markings, the spacing of which corresponds at least to the largest path axle of the unit; and 
     motive means for bringing the marking product from said tank to said dispensing members, 
     is remarkable, according to the present method, system and device, in that, in addition to said lateral marking dispensing members, said beaconing equipment comprises a dispensing member arranged in the central longitudinal axis of said unit for implementing an axial marking of said route, and in that said marking product is liquid. 
     Thus, thanks to the present method, system and device, the beaconing equipment allows further materializing the actually secured area by means of three parallel traces, two lateral markings for materializing the mine cleared area and an axial marking for guiding follower vehicles, and this without making use of bulky difficult solutions and with a relative reliability. 
     For example, the unit could comprise:
         a first leading vehicle which carries said beaconing equipment with lateral and axial markings and the wheels of at least one axle of which make up a part of a mass decoy equipment of said anti-mine means for securing longitudinal lanes of said track through said wheels passing therethrough; and   at least one second follower vehicle being guided on said axial marking and following said longitudinal lanes being secured by said first vehicle, said second vehicle being further provided with several wheel axles making up the remainder of said mass decoy equipment and having different paths therebetween and with said mass decoy axle of the first vehicle, so as to totally secure the track width delimited by said lateral markings, through the juxtaposition of all said achieved longitudinal lanes.       

     Thus, the axial marking allows for the accurate alignment of the second follower vehicle on the first one, all the more as they are often remote from each other by about one hundred meters or more, thus optimizing the overlaps between the different juxtaposed longitudinal lanes being mine cleared by the action of the rolling members. And the lateral markings delimit the mine cleared area of the track for the following vehicles and convoys guided by the axial marking. Thereby, a convoy arriving after the unit has passed therethrough, knows the secured area to be followed staying between the two lateral markings. 
     In particular, said first vehicle comprises a trailer on which said beaconing equipment and said corresponding part of said mass decoy equipment are mounted, and said second vehicle also comprises a trailer on which the remainder of said mass decoy equipment is arranged. 
     Preferably, at least said dispensing members with lateral markings are transversally settable with respect to the longitudinal axis of said unit. Thus, the spacing between the lateral dispensing members could be adapted to the width or path of the largest axle in the presence of the unit. 
     In particular, said dispensing members are spraying guns. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the opening of said dispensing members is automatically controllable so as to be able to implement discontinuous markings on the ground and with determined lengths, being spaced apart from each other. Such an arrangement allows reducing the quantity of product to be used and to increase accordingly the length of the track able to be processed, without, nevertheless, be detrimental to the follow up of the markings by the drivers of follower vehicles or other convoys. 
     For instance, said lateral markings and said axial marking are identical and discontinuous. 
     In such a case, they could be offset therebetween according to a predetermined constant pitch. 
     Alternatively, said lateral markings are different from the axial marking. 
     Advantageously, said liquid marking product is a paint. Thus, with a simple tank of paint, a secured traffic lane can be delimited rapidly, efficiently and on a large distance, whatever the type of lanes being encountered (including, sandy, gravelly, lateritic, etc.). 
     In a preferred embodiment, said motive means are defined by a motive unit connected to a pump in communication with said tank of marking product and with said dispensing members. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The figures of the appended drawing will better explain how the present method, system and device can be implemented. In these figures, like reference numerals relate to like components. 
         FIG. 1  schematically shows, in a bottom view, an embodiment of the motor-driven unit for mine clearing and securing a hazardous route according to the present method, system and device. 
         FIG. 2  schematically shows the equipment for beaconing the secured route, mounted on said motor-driven unit. 
         FIG. 3  is an embodiment of axial and lateral markings being left behind by the motor-driven unit on the track. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The aim of the motor-driven unit  1  shown on  FIG. 1  is to provide mine clearing and securing a hazardous route, such as a track  2 , wherein not shown mines or explosive devices are able to be totally or partially buried or concealed. 
     In the illustrated example, the motor-driven unit  1  comprises two vehicles  3 ,  4 , to which respective trailers  5 ,  6  are coupled, i.e. a first leading vehicle  3  and its trailer  5  and one second follower motor-driven vehicle  4  and its trailer  6  actually comprising two sub-trailers coupled to each other. Both vehicles preferably drive as a convoy, the follower vehicle  4  being for instance remote by about one hundred meters from the leading vehicle  3 . Naturally, a motor-driven unit could be contemplated with one single vehicle with one or more trailers or one jointed vehicle without or with a trailer, but with regard to the hostile areas or regions to be followed, it is appropriate to have a controllable unit with several replaceable sets or elements being able to rapidly and readily be operated, without disrupting for a long period of the time the progress of the unit. 
     For mine clearing and securing the track  2 , the unit comprises means  7  for fighting against mines and explosive devices so as to detect and activate them, and a piece of equipment  8  for beaconing the then secured track after the passage of the unit, so as to allow other vehicles to follow it in all safety. 
     The anti-mine means  7  will not be described in full detail here but briefly, they comprise different equipment for coping with various threats. 
     Thus, at the front of the vehicle  3 , on a structure with transversal arms  9 , a mechanical decoy equipment  10  (claws, antennas, etc.) is arranged for activating the wire sensors and antennas of explosive devices, and a thermal decoy equipment  11  for activating the infrared sensors of devices. And for the mine pressure sensors, a mass decoy equipment  12  is provided and defined, in the present example, by the wheels of several specific axles, pressed on the ground via resilient means (not shown) for activating mines and thereby securing the track, with the other equipment. 
     Thus, for covering an appropriate track width L being at least as wide as the largest (transversal distance between the wheels of one single axle) of a vehicle able to follow it, several two wheel axles are provided, for instance two axles  14  and  15  on the trailer  5  of the first vehicle  3  and four axles  16 ,  17 ,  18  and  19  on the double trailer  6  of the second vehicle  4 , so that the parallel longitudinal traces or lanes left behind by the tires are juxtaposed and cover the entirety of the desired width of the track  2 , as shown on  FIG. 1 . 
     More particularly, the tires of the wheels R 1  and R 2  of the axles  14  and  15  of the trailer  5  leave median longitudinal traces or lanes B 1  and B 2  behind, being juxtaposed because the path of the axle  15  is lower than that of the axle  14 , the lanes B 1  and B 2  left behind by the tires on the same side somewhat overlapping each other. 
     Advantageously, the longitudinal lanes B 1 , B 2  left behind by the tires R 1 , R 2  of the axles  14 ,  15  of the trailer of the vehicle  3  are thus followed by the motive wheels RV 2  of the second follower vehicle  4 , in all safety. It should be noticed, furthermore, that the motive wheels RV 1  of the first leading vehicle  3  comprise “furtive” specific tires allowing to drive on the track without activating mines, so that axles with wheels pressed on the ground (such as the axles  14  and  15 ) are not necessary before the wheels RV 1 . Naturally, if the wheels of the vehicle  3  were provided with standard tires, mounting pressed wheels, for instance, on the transversal arms  9  of the equipment  10  would be contemplated, so that while the vehicle progresses, the motive wheels RV 1  of the leading vehicle  3  drive on the longitudinal lanes left behind by the pressed wheels. 
     As far as other axles provided on the double trailer  6  of the follower vehicle, two axles  16  and  17  are external to the previous ones and have higher paths than that of the axle  14 , so that their respective wheels R 3  and R 4  leave, on both sides of the track, external longitudinal traces or lanes B 3  and B 4  somewhat overlapping each other, the longitudinal lanes B 4  of the axle  17  overlapping those B 1  left behind by the trailer  5  of the leading vehicle  3 . And two axles  18  and  19  are internal to the axle  15  and leave, via the respective wheels R 5  and R 6 , internal longitudinal traces or lanes B 5  and B 6  overlapping each other. The set of longitudinal lanes B 1  to B 6  covering the entirety of the width L of the track  2 . 
     According to the present method, system and device, the equipment  8  for beaconing the secured route comprises a liquid marking product  20 , such as a paint and, as schematically shown on  FIG. 2 , it comprises a tank  21  containing the paint  20 , members  22  for dispensing the paint on the ground of the track  2  to be beaconed and motive means  23  for supplying the paint  20  from the tank  21  to the dispensing members  22 . 
       FIG. 1  shows that the beaconing equipment  8  is provided on the trailer  5  of the leading vehicle  3 , the tank thereof  21  mounted on the structure  24  thereof, similarly to the motive means  23  being defined, in the present example, by an electric motor-pump  25  connected via a coupling  26  to the paint pump  27  arranged at the outlet of the tank via a link  28 , as shown on  FIG. 2 . 
     The dispensing members  22  are spraying guns being advantageously in the number of three arranged in parallel with each other. A first spraying gun  30 , connected to the trailer  5 , is arranged in the central longitudinal axis X of the unit  1 , so as to leave behind on the ground an axial marking MA at the centre of the track  2  as a result of the paint  20  being sprayed. 
     Such an axial marking MA allows the driver of the second follower vehicle  4  of the unit  1  to align at the best to the first leading vehicle  3  (which vehicle could be located at more than one hundred meters ahead), so as to remain between the two lateral markings and to optimize the overlaps between the different longitudinal traces or lanes B 1  to B 6  being cleared of mines, so as not to have not processed space therebetween. 
     The second and third spraying guns  31  and  32  are, as far as they are concerned, arranged respectively on both sides of the first gun  30  while being carried by transversal arms  33  being integral with the trailer  5 , so as to leave behind on the ground, as a result of the paint  20  being sprayed, lateral markings ML being located at least on the longitudinal lanes B 3  generated by the wheels R 3  of the largest path axle, in the present case, the axle  16 .  FIG. 1  shows that the side marks ML illustrated as a broken line thus surround the external edges of the tires of the wheels R 3  of the axle  16 , i.e. the longitudinal lanes B 3 . 
     These lateral markings ML allow delimiting the secured area of the track  2  for the following vehicles and convoys, the latter having to remain in the mine cleared traffic lane, beaconed by the lateral markings ML. It should be noticed that the tires of the wheels R 6  could somewhat delete the axial marking MA, but this is irrelevant because its first function involves guiding the second vehicle  4  so that the lanes B 1  to B 6  are juxtaposed B 6 , and then the other vehicles. 
     Functionally, a link  34  connects the outlet of the pump  27  to a by-pass fluidic member  35  to which guns  30 ,  31 ,  32  are connected via respective links  36 ,  37  and  38 . 
     Advantageously, the side spraying guns  31  and  32  are transversally settable in position, either in a manual or motorized way, and this is shown on  FIG. 2  with a double arrow F associated with each side gun. Transversally setting the side beaconing allows to position the side guns according to the different desired mine clearing widths and configurations of the mine clearing trailers to be used. 
     Furthermore, the spraying guns  30 ,  31  and  32  have a controllable opening automatically managed by a calculator  40  of the leading vehicle  3  they are connected to via links  39 , so as to achieve discontinuous markings MA and ML on the ground, with a constant length and with intervals being constant as well, and this, whatever the motion speed of the leading vehicle. Naturally, a paint saving is thereby achieved. 
     Thus, for further optimizing the paint saving, an alternate beaconing could be provided, such as that shown on  FIG. 3 , allowing to successively apply, according to the following cycle, a mark M 1  with a length D 1  by the first central gun  30 , then after a distance D 2 , a mark M 2  with a length D 1  by the second side gun  31 , then again, after a distance D 2 , a mark M 1  by the first central gun  30  and afterwards, after a distance D 2 , a mark M 3  with a length D 1  by the third side gun  32 , and so on, separating the successive marks by an appropriate distance (D 2  in this example) so as not to impair the follow up of the secured area. 
     In order to improve the accuracy of the follow up of the mine clearing vehicles, the central beaconing is continuous in a bend. Detecting the bend is then achieved by the calculator of the leading vehicle by means of lock sensors positioned on its actuating wheels. 
     Regarding the paint to be used, this could be a water paint, more particularly of a white color, to which a coloring agent  41  can be added such as that contained in an appended tank  42  being able to be put in communication with the tank  21  via a link  43 . 
     Adding a coloring agent to the paint allows, while replacing the coloring agent upon each passage with time, for instance every day or less frequently, to distinguish the marks from one passage to the other, even if the motor-driven unit follows the same route on several consecutive days. 
     Moreover, the paint should be able to provide a marking on different types of ground such as bitumen, a compacted sandy track, a gravelly or stony track, a compacted stony track, a compacted lateritic track, etc. And its application to the ground should allow to see it up to a few hours. 
     Thus, by cold weather, preferably the paint is mixed with an anti-frost agent of the ethylene-glycol type, the dosage of which depends on the temperature being encountered, and allowing to provide a good viscosity of the paint. 
     Furthermore, several settings of the paint parameters (flow rate, etc.) are preferably available so as to allow to consider the variation of the viscosity of the paint with the room temperature. 
     Alternatively, the paint guns could be provided with a not shown system for unblocking the nozzles. Unblocking each nozzle is controlled by the calculator of the motor-driven vehicle and could be activated after some time, a distance being followed or when the flow rate of the paint measured at the level of the pump is lower than a specified value. 
     By way of information, the paint pump is set so that the amount of paint applied upon the opening of the guns is lower than 100 g/m 2 . Thus, with a 300 liter tank and with the ratios between the different above mentioned lengths of marking D 1  and D 2  of approximately 1 to 10, a route could be beaconed, in the order of 150 kilometers.