Javier X Naranjo

US Patent:

52030997, Apr 20, 1993

Filed:

Apr 3, 1992

Appl. No.:

7/863584

Inventors:

Javier Naranjo - Miami FL
Pierre G. Mansur - Miami FL

Assignee:

Commodities, Inc. - Miami FL

International Classification:

E02F 528

US Classification:

37329

Abstract:

A self-powered, self-contained mobile dredge for removing silt and other bottom sediment from the bottom surface of a body of water, such as a canal, which accumulates as a result of erosion caused by rain and irrigation. A submersible drive unit of the dredge includes a continuous track drive, including left and right tracks, providing sufficient traction and mobility while exerting minimum ground pressure to enable the dredge to be driven along the bottom surface of a canal, while further enabling entry and exit from within the canal and transit across terrain between canals. A housing is movably mounted on the drive unit and is both rotatable about an arc of 360. degree. and vertically adjustable relative to the drive unit. A dredge unit, movable between a raised position and a lowered position extends from a forward end of the housing and includes a scoop having a tiller assembly therein. A sludge pump, mounted to the scoop in fluid communication with an open mouth thereof, is structured to intake a mixture of the bottom sediment and water which is force fed into the tiller assembly as the dredge moves forward, the pump simultaneously discharging the mixture through an angularly adjustable discharge chute for even disbursement over the terrain adjacent the canal.