JPH0338206Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a submarine cable-laying endless track system that suspends submarine cables into the sea from a ship and sequentially lets out the cables as the ship advances.

(Prior technology) A pair of endless tracks are provided that sandwich a generally horizontal cable from above and below, and the endless tracks are supported by a frame so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Cable feeder track systems are already known in which the track ring can be biased toward the approach side.

On the other hand, the cables used for submarine cables are
They are usually stiff and have a large diameter, and because they are pre-wound into a coil, they tend to meander even when stretched out. However, when laying submarine cables, the cables are unwound at a relatively high speed of, for example, approximately 120 m/min. Therefore, the endless track system for laying submarine cables is required to have high cable retention strength.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) In the conventional configuration described above, the cable can be securely held in the vertical direction by a pair of endless tracks, but the cable cannot be held sufficiently in both directions. . Therefore, in extreme cases, a problem may occur in which the cable comes off to the side. Therefore, with this configuration, it is difficult to securely hold the cable, and there are problems in that it is difficult to carry out the work of sending out cables used for submarine cables etc. smoothly enough.

The present invention attempts to solve the above problems.

(Means for solving the problem) A pair of endless tracks are provided that sandwich a generally horizontal cable from above and below, the endless tracks are supported by a frame so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a pressure cylinder is installed between the tracks. In an endless track device for laying submarine cables, the track ring is installed on both the left and right sides of the cable, and is fixedly supported by one of the pair of tracks. and a pair of rods which are slidably fitted and supported by the other of the pair of endless track rings, and which are slidably fitted to the rods and fixed to the rods by a fixing member. This endless track device for laying submarine cables is characterized in that it includes a pair of guide members that guide the cable on both left and right sides between the cable clamps of the endless track.

(Function) The guide member disposed between the endless track rings guides the submarine cable laterally.

Submarine cables are reliably guided not only vertically but also horizontally, and even when the cable is sent out at high speed, there is no problem of the cable coming loose. In addition, since the position of the guide member fixed to the rod can be adjusted using the fixing member, the fixing position can be adjusted according to the cable size, and the guide is properly oriented towards the cable axis, ensuring that the cable does not come off. It can be prevented. Further, since the rod is fixedly supported by one of the endless raceway rings and slidably fitted and supported by the other of the pair of endless raceways, it is possible to fit and support the rod. The guide member, which moves in accordance with the movement of the track ring on the side where it is located, can therefore follow the variation in the distance between the track rings well, and can more reliably prevent the cable from coming off.

(Example) In FIG. 1, a submarine cable 11 (for example, a large-sized submarine OF cable) arranged in a generally horizontal direction is sandwiched between a pair of upper and lower endless track rings 12 and 13 from above and below. Track ring 1
An annular endless raceway main body (for example, an endless chain) 15 is supported in each of the housings 2 and 13 in a freely circulating manner. Upper track ring body 1
5 is a driving sprocket 16 and a driven sprocket 1
6', and the lower chain body 15 is suspended between the drive sprocket 17 and the driven sprocket 17', and the shafts 16a and 17a of one sprocket 16 and 17, respectively.
are connected to drive shafts of hydraulic motors 18, 18. The hydraulic motor is driven or braked as appropriate by a hydraulic mechanism (not shown).

Track ring main body 1 arranged on the cable 11 side
A guide rail 19 is in contact with the portion 5 from the inner peripheral side, so that the track body 15 is brought into close contact with the cable 11. An air spring 20 is provided at the lower end of the housing 14 of the lower track ring 13, and the lower end of the air spring 20 is placed and fixed on the base 21. base 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes a flat plate-shaped member arranged generally horizontally, and the base of a bracket 22 is fixed to both ends of the cable 11 in the longitudinal direction. Both brackets 22
A guide roller 23 is provided at the tip of the cable 1 and is rotatable around the center line perpendicular to the plane of the paper.
It guides the bottom surface of 1. Further, a pair of guide rollers 24 rotatable around a vertical axis are provided at the tips of both brackets 22 to guide both sides of the cable 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of guide posts 25 extending in the vertical direction are arranged on one side (upper side in FIG. 2) of the upper track ring 12 (lower track ring 13). There is. The lower end of the guide post 25 is fixed to the base 21. As shown in Figure 3,
The guide post 25 has a slidable sliding member 27,
28 are fitted, and the housing 14 of the upper track ring 12 is fitted to the upper sliding member 27, and the housing 14 of the lower track ring 13 is fitted to the lower sliding member 28.
are each fixed.

The housing 14 of the upper track ring 12 is formed into a generally H shape when viewed in the direction of FIG. 3, and a cover 30 covering the upper end is fixed thereto. The guide rail 19 is arranged in the housing 14 of the upper track ring 12 in a downwardly protruding position,
The endless track ring body 15 is guided by the lower end of the guide rail 19. A guide rail 31 is fixed to the upper part of the housing 14 so as to protrude upward.
The endless track ring main body 15 is guided by the upper end of the ring 1. Track ring body 15
has two chains on both sides, and three parts in the center.
2 in large numbers. The pad 32 is formed to have a drum-shaped cross section that becomes thinner toward the center, so that it can guide the upper part of the cable 11.

The housing 14 of the lower track ring 13 is also formed into a generally H shape when viewed in the direction of FIG. 3, and a cover 33 covering the lower end is fixed thereto. The guide rail 19 is arranged in the housing 14 of the lower track ring 13 so as to protrude upward.
The endless track ring body 15 is guided by the upper end of the guide rail 19. A guide rail 34 is disposed on the upper surface of the cover 33 so as to protrude upward, and the endless raceway main body 15 is guided by the upper end of the guide rail 34.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of air cylinders 35 are arranged between both guide posts 25 at a distance. The air cylinder 35 is arranged in the vertical direction, and a connecting rod 36 at the upper end is connected to a bracket 37 provided on the housing 14 of the upper track ring 12, and a lower end is connected to the base 21.
By being connected to the upper track ring 12
It is designed so that it can be biased downward.

Furthermore, the upper endless raceway ring 12 (the lower endless raceway ring 1
3), a pair of air cylinders 38 are arranged at a distance in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11 on the opposite side of the guide post 25. As shown in FIG. 1, the air cylinder 38 is arranged vertically, and a bracket 40 provided on the housing 14 of the upper track ring 12 fits into a groove formed at the upper end of the connecting rod 39. are doing. The connecting rod 39 and the bracket 40 are connected in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11 by a removable pin 41. A pair of brackets 42 projecting downward are formed at the lower end of the air cylinder 38, and a bracket 43 projecting upward from the base 21 is fitted into the brackets 42. The brackets 42 and 43 are connected by a pin 44 extending in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11, so that the air cylinder 38 can rotate around the pin 44. In the illustrated state, the upper endless track ring 12 is moved to the base 21 by the air cylinder 38.
The air cylinder 38 is connected to the upper endless track ring 12 so that the upper endless track ring 12 can be urged downward.

As shown in FIG. 2, a guide member 45 and a guide member 46 are arranged between both air cylinders 35 and between both air cylinders 38, respectively. Third
As shown in the figure, the guide member 45 on the side of the air cylinder 35 has guide rods 47 arranged in the vertical direction, and a pair of guide rods 47 are provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11 (direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper). ing. The lower end of the guide rod 47 fits into a bracket 48 and is fixed by a set screw 49. Bracket 48 is lower track ring 1
This is a member fixed to the housing 14 of No. 3 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11, and holds a guide rod 47 at both ends thereof. The upper part of the guide rod 47 is slidably fitted into a cylindrical hole formed in the bracket 50. The bracket 50 is a member fixed to the housing 14 of the upper track ring 12 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11, and supports the guide rod 47 at both ends thereof.

A guide member main body 51 is slidably fitted into the guide rod 47 between the bracket 48 and the bracket 50, and the guide member main body 51 is fixed onto the guide rod 47 by a set screw 52. The guide member main body 51 is the cable 11
It is a member that extends in the longitudinal direction, and integrally has a guide surface 53 that projects toward the cable 11 side. Fourth
As shown in the figure, the guide surface 53 extends in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11, and both ends thereof are curved toward the guide rod 47. Note that the amount of protrusion of the guide surface 53 is set so that a cruise lance of approximately 10 mm is generated between the guide surface 53 and the cable 11.

On the other hand, the guide member 46 on the air cylinder 38 side in FIG.
The guide rod 55 has a cable 11
A pair is provided with an interval in the longitudinal direction (direction perpendicular to the paper surface). The lower end of the guide rod 55 fits into a bracket 56 and is fixed by a set screw 57. The bracket 56 is connected to the cable 11 fixed to the housing 14 of the lower track ring 13.
It is a member extending in the longitudinal direction, and holds a guide rod 55 at both ends thereof. Guide rod 55
The upper part of the bracket 58 is slidably fitted into a cylindrical hole formed in the bracket 58. The bracket 58 is a member fixed to the housing 14 of the upper track ring 12 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the cable 11, and supports the guide rod 55 at both ends thereof.

A guide member main body 59 is slidably fitted into the guide rod 55 between the brackets 56 and 58, and the guide member main body 59 is fixed onto the guide rod 55 by a set screw 60. The guide member main body 59 is connected to the cable 11
It is a member extending in the longitudinal direction, and integrally has a guide surface 61 that projects toward the cable 11 side. The guide surface 61 is formed in the same shape as the guide surface 53 shown in FIG.
The amount of protrusion of the guide surface 61 is set so that a approximately 10 mm distance is generated between the guide surface 61 and the guide surface 61.

Next, the operation will be explained. Track ring 1 in Figure 1
When inserting the cable 11 between the tracks 12 and 13, the distance between the track rings 12 and 13 is widened, and the drive shaft 1
Cable 11 from guide roller 24 on 6, 17 side
Insert the tip between the endless raceway rings 12 and 13. Next, when the air cylinders 35 and 38 are actuated to urge the upper track ring 12 downward, since the lower track ring 13 is held on the air spring 20, the cable 11 is Roll parts 32 of both endless raceway ring bodies 15 (Fig. 3)
are clamped at a predetermined pressure by. In this case, the upper endless track ring 12 is urged downward not only by the air cylinder 35 but also by the air cylinder 38, so that strong holding strength is obtained and a predetermined holding pressure is reliably obtained.

When the drive sprockets 16 and 17 are driven by the hydraulic motors 18 and 18, and the chain body 15 is forcibly circulated, the cable 11 is sent out in the direction of the arrow. Since the cable 11 is pre-wound into a coil, it has a tendency to meander even when it is stretched out. However, since the cable 11 is also guided in the left and right directions by the guide members 45 and 46 at the intermediate part between the track rings 12 and 13, even if the feeding speed increases, the cable 11 is moved sideways from the track rings 12 and 13. It will never come off. Furthermore, the positions where the guide member bodies 61 and 59 are fixed to the guide rods 47 and 55 can be adjusted using the setscrews 52 and 60, respectively.
The fixing position can be adjusted according to the cable size, the guide surfaces 53 and 61 are properly oriented toward the cable axis, and the cable can be reliably prevented from coming off. Furthermore,
The guide rods 47 and 55 are the lower endless track ring 1.
3, and is slidably fitted and supported by the upper endless track ring 12, so that the guide rods 47, 55 and the guide member bodies 51, 59 are fixedly supported by the upper endless raceway ring 12, so that the guide rods 47, 55 and the guide member bodies 51, 59 are fixedly supported by the upper endless raceway ring 12. Fluctuations can be tracked well, and cable disconnection can be more reliably prevented.

During the work, the cable 11 was connected to the track ring 12,
If it becomes necessary to take out the sample from No. 13, proceed as follows. First, the drive of the drive sprockets 16 and 17 is stopped to stop the circulation of the endless raceway ring body 15. This stops the cable 11 from being fed out. Next, the downward urging of the upper endless track ring 12 by the air cylinders 35 and 38 is stopped. Subsequently, the pin 41 is removed to disconnect the air cylinder 38 from the upper endless raceway ring 12, and the air cylinder 38 is tilted around the pin 44.
On the other hand, loosen the set screw 57 of the guide member 46 shown in FIG.
Remove from. Furthermore, the guide roller 24 on the side where the air cylinder 38 is disposed is removed. As a result, the cable 11 can be easily taken out from the right side of the track rings 12 and 13 where the guide post 25 is not provided (the front side of the paper in FIG. 1). When returning the cable 11 between the track rings 12 and 13 and restarting the feeding operation, the operation is performed in the reverse order.

(Another embodiment) a The number of guide members 45 and 46 is not limited to one pair, and two or more pairs may be arranged on both sides of the endless tracks 12 and 13.

b Instead of the guide surface 53, a roller rotatable around the vertical axis may be used.

c. Hydraulic cylinders may be used instead of the air cylinders 35 and 38.

d If not necessary, the air cylinder 38 may be omitted.

(Effect of the invention) A pair of endless track rings 12 and 13 are provided which sandwich the horizontal cable 11 from above and below, and the endless track ring 1
2 and 13 are supported by a frame (for example, the base 21) so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a pressurizing cylinder (for example, an air cylinder 35) is provided between the endless raceway rings 12 and 13 on the side where both the endless raceway rings 12 and 13 approach. In the endless track device for laying submarine cables which can be energized, a guide rod 4 guides the side of the cable 11 between the track rings 12 and 13.
7 and a guide member 45 having a guide member main body 51
Since the guide member 46 having the guide rod 55 and the guide member main body 59 is arranged, the cable 1
1 can be reliably guided in both directions.
Further, the guide member bodies 51 and 59 are connected to the guide rods 47 and 5 by set screws 52 and 60, respectively.
The fixing position on guide surface 5 can be adjusted according to the cable size.
3 and 61 are properly oriented toward the cable axis, and the cable can be reliably prevented from coming off. Furthermore, the guide rods 47 and 55 are fixedly supported by the lower endless raceway ring 13, and the upper endless raceway ring 1
Since it is slidably fitted and supported by 2,
The guide rods 47, 55 and the guide member bodies 51, 59 can effectively follow the variation in the distance between the tracks, and can more reliably prevent the cable from coming off.

Therefore, while the cable 11 is securely held in the vertical direction by the pair of track rings 12 and 13, it can be sufficiently held in both directions by the guide members 45 and 46, and the cable 11 is prevented from coming off laterally. Problems that would otherwise occur will no longer occur. Therefore, according to the present invention, the submarine cable 11 can be easily held with sufficient force, and the submarine cable delivery operation can be carried out sufficiently smoothly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a front view of the endless track system for laying submarine cables according to the present invention, Figure 2 is its top view, and Figure 3 is
The figure is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 11... Submarine cable, 12... Upper track ring, 13... Lower track ring, 21... Base (part of frame), 3
5... Air cylinder (an example of a pressurized cylinder), 4
5, 46... Guide member.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A pair of endless tracks are provided that sandwich a generally horizontal cable from above and below, the endless tracks are supported by a frame so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a pressure cylinder is provided between the tracks, so that the side where both endless tracks approach each other is provided. In the endless track ring device for laying submarine cables, the track ring device is arranged on both the left and right sides of the cable, is fixedly supported by one of the pair of track rings, and is fixedly supported by one of the pair of track rings. A pair of rods are slidably fitted and supported by the other of the two rods, and the two rods are slidably fitted into the rods and fixed to the rods by a fixing member to hold the cable of the track ring. What is claimed is: 1. An endless track device for laying submarine cables, comprising a pair of guide members that guide the left and right sides of the cable between them.