Pipelayer machine with symmetrical winches

A pipelayer machine is provided. The pipelayer machine has a main body, a boom pivotally connected to a first side of the main body, a hook winch provided on the first side of the main body and a boom winch provided on the second side of the main body. The boom winch and the hook winch can be connected to a structural assembly that positions the boom winch proximate the second side of the main body and positions the hook winch proximate the first side of the main body of the pipelayer machine. The hook winch can be provided in a hook winch frame and the hook winch frame can form a structural member in the structural assembly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pipelayer machine and more particularly to the placement of winches on a work tool frame on pipelayer machines.

BACKGROUND

A pipelayer machine is a machine that is specially designed to lay sections of pipe in a trench to create a pipeline. Previously, cranes had been used to raise up pipe sections and lower them into a trench. However, the cranes were not very maneuverable and were commonly modified from cranes designed for other purposes to be used for installing the pipe sections in the trench. Eventually, excavators and crawlers began to be used for installing pipe sections with kits being made and sold to convert an excavator or crawler over for pipe installation duty. Eventually, purpose-made pipelayer machines were designed the sole purpose of which was the installation of pipe section in a pre-made trench.

A pipelayer machine will typically have tracks and a crawler body with an engine. A side boom can extend to one side of the pipelayer machine and the raising and lowering of the side boom is handled by a boom winch. A counterweight assembly is typically provided on an opposite side of the pipelayer machine from the side that the boom is attached to in order to balance out the pipelayer machine and prevent it from tipping when the boom is used to raise and lower a pipe section into a trench.

A hook winch, hook cable and hook are used to pick up and raise a load, such as a section of pipe. The hook winch winds and unwinds the hook cable, which is connected to the hook and is suspended from the end of the boom.

These pipelayer machines are used to lay pipe in a trench by using the tracks to maneuver the pipelayer machine next to a trench the pipe section will be placed in. The hook cable and hook are used with the boom to connect to the pipe section and the hook winch is used to raise the pipe section from the ground. Then, using the boom, the pipelayer machine moves the pipe section over the trench and lowers the pipe section into the trench. Commonly, a number of pipelayer machines will be used at the same time to raise and lower the pipe section into the trench with a number of the pipelayer machines working in unison to raise and lower a single pipe section.

Typically, conventional prior art pipelayer machines will position both the boom winch, which controls raising and lowering the boom, and the hook winch, which raises and lowers the hook suspended from the boom, adjacent to each other on the opposite side of the pipelayer machine that the boom is attached to. This places both winches on the same side of the pipelayer machine that the counterweight assembly is attached to. There are a number of reasons for placing the hook winch on this side of the pipelayer machine, including that having the weight of the hook winch on the opposite side of the pipelayer machine from the side the boom is attached to will help to prevent the pipelayer machine from tipping from the weight of a raised pipe, because the weight of the hook winch will counteract the tipping forces applied to the pipelayer machine by the load suspended from the boom.

While placing the hook winch on the opposite side of the pipelayer machine that the boom is attached to does provide some benefits, there are also problems created by placing the hook winch on this side of the pipelayer machine. With the hook winch provided on the same side of the pipelayer machine as the boom winch, the hook cable typically runs substantially horizontally across the pipelayer machine, between the cab of the pipelayer machine and an engine enclosure of the pipelayer machine, to a fairlead sheave provided on the same side of the pipelayer machine as the boom. After the hook cable passes through the fairlead sheave, it is angled upwards to run to a load block attached to the end of the boom and then down to the hook block and hook. The fairlead sheave prevents the hook cable from getting tangled with the boom or in the tracks of the pipelayer machine, but the fairlead sheave can also cause a high fleet angle on the hook cable which can prevent it from reeving onto the drum of the hook winch properly when the hook winch is winding up the hook cable and raising the hook block and hook.

The fleet angle is the angle of the hook cable coming off/on a winch drum and onto a pulley or a sheave. Looking downwards as the hook cable spools on or off the drum of the hook winch, the fleet angle is the angle that the hook cable varies from being perpendicular to the winch drum. When there is a direct line between the fairlead sheave and the hook winch, the hook cable will be perpendicular to the winch drum and the fleet angle of the hook cable will be 0. However, as the hook cable is wound or unwound around the winch cable and the point where the hook cable winds around the drum moves further to one side or the other of the winch drum, the fleet angle of the hook cable will increase. Typically, the fairlead sheave is positioned so that it is aligned with a centerline of the drum of the hook winch. In this manner, the distance to either end of the hook drum from the centerline (where the fleet angle of the hook cable is 0) is equal; minimizing the fleet angle in both directions. The fleet angle of the hook cable will be large if the ratio of the distance between the centerline of the drum (where the fairlead sheave is aligned) to one of the outside ends of the drum is relatively large and the distance between the hook winch and the fairlead sheave is relatively short. Because the distance between the hook winch and the fairlead sheave is relatively short (just the width of the pipelayer machine), and the fairlead sheave is fixed in one position, the fleet angle of the hook cable can be quite large when it is being wound onto the outer edges of the winch drum in these conventional pipelayer machine designs.

A good fleet angle is between 0.5° to 1.5° of rope angle. If the fleet angle is too large, the hook cable may not reeve on to the drum of the hook winch evenly. In some cases it can even “birdcage” which occurs when the cable has fouled on the drum with overriding turns, locking the hook cable in place on the drum and preventing the hook cable from further unwinding from the hook winch. Birdcaging the hook cable can cause permanent damage to the hook cable by kinking the hook cable and even ruining it so it can no longer be used.

This reeving problem can be increased in pipelayer machines with closed cabs where an operator does not have access to the winch to fix the bird caging without stopping the machine and leaving the cab.

Additionally, the room for the hook cable to run between the cab of the pipelayer machine and the engine enclosure is limited, limiting the length of drum winch that can be used on the hook winch. Using a shorter drum winch can limit how much cable the hook winch can hold and still have enough torque to winch in the cable. The amount of force applied to winching in the cable decreases every time another layer of cable is added to the winch drum.

Additionally, winches are large, heavy, and costly components which are subject to wear and tear during the use of the pipelayer machine. When these winches require maintenance or replacement, it can require significant amounts of time and labor to remove and reinstall the winches on the pipelayer machine.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In a first aspect, a pipelayer machine is provided. The pipelayer machine can include a main body having a first side and a second side, a first side track provided on the first side of the main body, a second side track provided on the second side of the main body, a side boom having a distal end and a proximal end, the proximal end of the side boom pivotally attached to the first side of the main body, a boom winch provided proximate the second side of the main body, a boom cable running between the boom winch and the distal end of the boom, the boom cable and boom winch operative to raise and lower the boom; a hook winch provided proximate the first side of the main body; and a hook cable running between the hook winch to the distal end of the boom and to a hook suspended from the distal end of the boom.

In a further aspect, the boom winch and the hook winch are connected to a structural assembly and the structural assembly positions the boom winch proximate the second side of the main body and positions the hook winch proximate the first side of the main body of the pipelayer machine.

In a further aspect, the hook winch is provided in a hook winch frame and the hook winch frame forms a structural member in the structural assembly.

In another aspect, a structural assembly for positioning a hook winch and a boom winch on opposite sides of a pipelayer machine is provided. The structural assembly includes a first side track frame connectable inside a first side track of the pipelayer machine, a link mount operatively connected to the first side track frame, a hook winch frame for supporting a hook winch, the hook winch frame connected at a first side to the link mount, a work tool frame is connected at a first end to a second side of the hook winch frame and positioned to extend across a main body of the pipelayer machine and a second side track frame connectable inside a second side track of the pipelayer machine and a second end of work tool frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2illustrate a pipelayer machine10for placing sections of pipe section in a trench. The pipelayer machine10can include a main body20, an engine30, a first side track34, a second side track36, a cab38, a side boom40, a counterweight assembly100, a boom winch50, a hook winch60and a hook70.

The main body20can have a first side22and a second side24and hold the engine30and the pair of tracks34,36. The cab38is provided for an operator to sit and control the operation of the pipelayer machine10.

The side boom40is used to support a pipe section that is lifted off of the ground by the pipelayer machine10and to move the pipe section laterally away from the pipelayer machine10over top of the trench so that the pipe section can be lowered by the pipelayer machine10into the trench. The side boom40can be pivotally connected at a proximal end42of the side boom40to a first side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10so that the side boom40extends laterally from the first side22of the main body20. In one aspect, the proximal end42of the side boom40can be connected inside the first side track34on the first side22of the main body20so that the first side track34rotates around the proximal end42of the side boom40.

In one aspect, the side boom40can have a triangular frame.

The boom winch50can be used to raise and lower the side boom40. The boom winch50can be operatively attached to a distal end44of the boom40by a boom cable46. The boom winch50can be attached to the main body20of the pipelayer machine10on the second side24of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10so that the boom cable46passes between the boom winch50and the distal end44of the side boom40in front of the cab38of the pipelayer machine10.

The boom winch50can be wound to raise the boom40around its pivotally connected proximal end42or unwound to lower the boom40around the pivotally connected proximal end42. Typically, the boom cable46is used in conjunction with a block and tackle assembly to increase the force applied to the boom40by the boom winch50to aid the boom winch50in raising the boom40.

The hook winch60and hook70can be used to raise and lower a pipe section. The hook winch60can be connected to the hook70with a hook cable72and the hook winch60can be wound to raise the hook70and thereby any pipe section attached to the hook70or unwound to lower the hook70. Typically, the hook cable72is used with a load block74and a hook block76which the hook70is attached to in order to increase the force the hook winch60can apply to a pipe section suspended from the hook70with the load block74attached to the distal end44of the boom40. The hook cable72can run through the load block74and down to the hook block76before running back up to the load block74. The hook cable72may pass back and forth between the load block74and the hook block76depending upon the amount of force multiplication desired.

The counterweight assembly100is connected to the second side24of the main body20on an opposite side of the main body20from the first side22. The counterweight assembly100is used to counterbalance the forces applied to the pipelayer machine10created when the pipelayer machine10lifts a pipe section off of the ground and moves it outwards laterally from the pipelayer machine10using the boom40to position the pipe section over a trench. The counter weight assembly100uses counterweights150and can move these counterweights150laterally away from the second side24of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10as the pipe section is picked up and move laterally away from the first side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10.

The hook winch60is provided on the first side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10; the same side of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10that the boom40is attached to. In one aspect, the hook winch60can be positioned substantially where the fairlead sheave would be placed on prior art devices and the winch cable72can run directly between the hook winch60and the load block74suspended from the distal end44of the boom40without a fairlead sheave placed in between to alter the direction of the hook cable72. In this manner, the hook cable72will run directly between the hook winch60and the distal end44of the boom40uninterrupted without contacting any other component like a fairlead sheave that alters the direction of the hook cable72.

Because of the length of the boom40, the fleet angle of the hook cable72as it runs between the hook winch60and the load block74is much better than conventional pipelayer machines using a fairlead sheave since the distance between the load block74and the hook winch60is much greater than the distance from the centerline of the hook winch60to an outer side of the drum. Depending on the length of the boom40, the fleet angle of the hook cable72can be between 0.5° and 1.5°. This low fleet angle can allow the hook winch60to wind up the hook cable72or reeve nicely on the hook winch70without external manipulation (e.g. use of a fairlead sheave, etc) and prevent bird caging of the hook cable72.

Another benefit of placing the hook winch60on the first side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10is that an operator of the pipelayer machine10in a cab of the pipelayer machine10can easily see the hook cable72and load block74without turning his or her head to the other side of the pipelayer machine10to see how the hook cable72is reeving on the hook winch60because the hook winch60will now be on the same side of the pipelayer machine10as the boom40, allowing the operator to see the hook70, hook cable72and hook winch60at the same time.

However, simply moving the location of the hook winch60to the first side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10can create issues with the operation of the pipelayer machine10. To position the hook winch60on the first side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10, the hook winch60is integrated into the frame of the pipelayer machine10using a structural assembly200. Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4, a hook winch frame210of the hook winch60can be used to form a structural member in the structural assembly200that positions the hook winch60on the first side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10. This unibody design of having the hook winch60integrated into the structural assembly200, and thereby the frame of the pipelayer machine10, allows for the load on the boom40to be transferred to the second side22of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10. This allows the hook winch60to be in the right position for the hook cable72to reeve well onto the hook winch60while running directly to the load block74without a fairlead sheave being needed in between.

Because pipelayer machines are relatively compact pieces of equipment with multiple structures and subsystems which compete for limited amounts of available space aboard the pipelayer machine, the frame and other structural members must bear significant structural forces to lift the loads required during the operation of the pipelayer machine and in the dynamic work environment. Building a primary structural member and mounting a winch frame onto that member requires substantial space. By having the hook winch frame210of the hook winch60act as a primary load-bearing structural member in the structural assembly200, the structural member200can be made more compact and reduce the space the structural assembly200requires, opening up space on the pipelayer machine for other components and improving component accessibility.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, the structural assembly200can include a first side track frame220, a hook winch frame210, a link mount230, a work tool frame240and a second side track frame250.

The first side track frame220can be connected at one end inside the first side track34on the first side22of the main body20as shown inFIG. 3. In one aspect, the first side track frame220can be attached to the inside of the first side track34in generally the same area that the proximal end42of the boom40is connected to the inside of the first side of the track34. In one aspect, the first side track frame220can take the form of an A-frame member.

The link mount230can be connected between the other end of the first side track frame220and the hook winch frame210to operatively connect the hook winch frame210and the hook winch60to the first side track frame220. Typically, the link mount230will be connected to a first side of the hook winch frame210containing the hook winch60.

The work tool frame240can be connected at a first end to the hook winch frame210and the work tool frame240can extend across the main body20of the pipelayer machine10to the second side24of the main body30of the pipelayer machine10. In one aspect, the work tool frame240can be connected to a second side of the hook winch frame210, the opposite side of the hook winch frame210that the link mount230is connected to. In this manner, the hook winch60and particularly the hook winch frame210will form a structural member in the structural assembly210because the hook winch frame210will structurally connect the work tool frame240and first side track frame220together.

Hydraulic lines for connecting to the hook winch60in order to control the operation of the hook winch60can be run through a hollow interior of the work tool frame240so that these hydraulic lines can be run to and connected to the hook winch60.

The second side of the work tool frame240can be connected to the second side track frame250. The second side track250can operatively connect the work tool frame240to the inside of the second side track which in turn is connected to the inside of the second side track36.

A boom winch frame245containing the boom winch50can be provided on the second end of the work tool frame240so that the boom winch50is positioned on the second side24of the main body20of the pipelayer machine10.

In this manner, the structural assembly210can be connected from the inside of the first side track34to the inside of the second side track36securely connecting the hook winch frame210and the hook winch60to the frame of the pipelayer machine10and providing a secure mount for the hook winch60. By using the structural assembly210to mount the hook winch60, the forces applied to the pipelayer machine10can be better distributed to the pipelayer machine10. It can also maintain the visibility of the hook70by the operator of the pipelayer machine10, provide the necessary clearance for the pipelayer machine10, the first side track34and the second side track36, help balance the pipelayer machine10and provide the necessary clearance for the cab of the pipelayer machine10.

In a further aspect, by mounting the boom winch50in the boom winch frame245and the hook winch60in the hook winch frame210and then incorporating quick-attachment points into the design of the boom winch frame245, the hook winch frame210and the structural assembly200, the time and labor needed for installation and uninstallation of the boom winch50and the hook winch60can be decreased.

Referring toFIG. 7, a quick-attach connection between the boom winch frame245and the work tool frame240is shown. The work tool frame240can be provided with a pin704. Cradle lugs702can be provided on the boom winch frame245and these cradle lugs702can be sized and positioned on the boom winch frame245so that the pin704on the work tool frame240can be inserted into the cradle lugs702. When the pin704is inserted into the cradle lugs702on the hook winch frame210, the hook winch frame245can be secured to the work tool frame240partially by the cradle lugs702and the pin704.

Referring toFIG. 8, with the pin704of the work tool frame240inserted in the cradle lugs702of the boom winch frame245, the boom winch frame245can be pivoted so that a mounting flange712on the boom winch frame245can come into contact with a mounting flange714on the work tool frame240. Flange bolts716can then be used to secure the mounting flange712of the boom winch frame245against the mounting flange714of the work tool frame240. In this manner, the pin704provides a close fit to the cradle lugs702on the boom winch frame245and forms a physical connection between the pin704and the cradle lugs702partially securing the boom winch frame245to the work tool frame240. The mounting flange712on the boom winch frame245and the mounting flange714on the work tool frame240can form another physical connection with the flange bolts716securing them together.

Referring toFIGS. 8 and 9, with the physical connection between the pin704on the work tool frame240and the cradle lugs702on the hook winch frame245, a second row of flange bolts to secure the hook winch frame245to the work tool frame240is unnecessary, reducing the number of bolts required to secure the hook winch frame245to the work tool frame240. The time and labor required for installation of the boom winch frame245onto the work tool frame240is thus decreased through the reduction in the number of fasteners that need to be installed and torqued, and by the pin704and lug cradles702fit allowing the boom winch frame245to be set into the cradle lugs702which properly position the boom winch frame245in place without need for further adjustments. The time and labor needed for the removal of the boom winch frame245is similarly decreased by the reduction in fasteners and self-aligning nature of the pin704and cradle lugs702connection.

Referring toFIG. 9, a quick-attach connection between the boom winch frame245and the work tool frame240is shown. The hook winch frame210can be provided with a pin804. Cradle lugs802on the first end of the work tool frame240can be sized and positioned to correspond with the pin804on the hook winch frame210when the hook winch frame210is positioned in the structural assembly200. The cradle lugs802can be sized to accept the pin804so that the pin804can be placed in the cradle lugs802on the first end of the work tool frame240. With the pin804of the hook winch frame210inserted in the cradle lugs802on the first end of the work tool frame240, the hook winch frame210can be pivoted so that a mounting flange812on the hook winch frame210can come into contact with a mounting flange814on the first end of the work tool frame240. Flange bolts816can then be used to secure the mounting flange812of the hook winch frame210against the mounting flange814of the work tool frame240. In this manner, the pin804provides a close fit to the cradle lugs802on the work tool frame240and forms a physical connection between the pin804and the cradle lugs802partially securing the hook winch frame210to the first end of the work tool frame240. The mounting flange812on the hook winch frame210and the mounting flange814on the first end of the work tool frame240can form another physical connection with the flange bolts816securing them together.

With the hook winch frame210secured to the work tool frame240, the link mount230can be attached to the hook winch frame210using the mounting flange810on the other side of the hook winch frame210.

The use of the pin804and the cradle lugs80removes the necessity for a bottom row of flange bolts. The time and labor for installation of the hook winch frame210onto the work tool frame240is thus decreased through the reduction in the number of fasteners that need to be installed and torqued, and by the pin804and cradle lugs801fit allowing the hook winch frame210to be lowered into the cradle lugs802which will properly align and position the hook winch frame210in place without need for further adjustments. Removal of the hook winch frame210is similarly reduced by the reduction in fasteners and the self-supporting nature of the pin804in cradle lug802connection.

In one aspect, the boom stop212for the boom40can be integrated into the frame210of the hook winch60allowing for a more compact overall design and making it easily accessible for maintenance.