Self propelled gravel cart

[Furniss]

We do lots of meters of drainage for soakaways every year and im looking to speed things up - have used gravel carts and tractors years ago when I worked for a drainage company in u.k, that doesnt really suit us though as our work is mainly domestic and there often isnt always room,presently we tip washedgravel out of 3t straight tip dumper into trench and then rake grade and move on? each installation has to be signed off over here are certain inspectors are very strict and we have to work to quite tight tolerances, we lay the drainage at .75%, so its a bit steady to get it bang on.

I am getting a 3t swivel tip which may be able to drive down side of trench and tip in (if its not too close) but I am keeping our old straight tip and was wondering if there was the possibility to build a self prop cart with conveyor maybe out of the old dumper ??

Anyone got any genius ideas to fill trenches to grade quicker - does the gravel cart idea have any legs or is it just too much work ???

Suggestions most welcome

 

[Smiffy]

Neuson have a chute/funnel available that attaches to the front of there dumpers for this
It moves the dumper further away from the trench and concentrates the material coming out into a smaller channel for accuracy
I can't find a picture of the one I've seen but there is this video of something similar just has a wider spout mouth
The one I saw channeled it down to 12 inches wide

 

[Smiffy]

This is similar to what I saw just fitted to a neuson and square bottomed
Obviously for use on a swivel skip if doing drainage runs

 

[Furniss]

Yes that might be the easiest way to do it
ideal would be with an hydraulic door on the end of the chute like a gravel cart has for more control,with a switchover from the tip leaver to chute door ............ could leave the dumper in the tipped position with the chute full and control it that way without having to try control it with the tip which is doable but harder.

 

[Smiffy]

Yes that might be the easiest way to do it
ideal would be with an hydraulic door on the end of the chute like a gravel cart has for more control,with a switchover from the tip leaver to chute door ............ could leave the dumper in the tipped position with the chute full and control it that way without having to try control it with the tip which is doable but harder.

If you made the chute profile right you could just put a grain chute door on it
Right at the end and do it manually
The other option is to put a floating door up near the skip that when tipped will catch the stone this can then be adjusted on a piece of chain as to how much it will open giving a continuous and steady flow of material and making it much more controllable
Kind of how the Americans lay stone out a tipper

 

[Furniss]

Yep although be better to be able to shut it off while the raking guy gets grade right - some skill setting off along a trench and pouring a .75% grade ..... beyond me anyhow

 

[Smiffy]

Yep although be better to be able to shut it off while the raking guy gets grade right - some skill setting off along a trench and pouring a .75% grade ..... beyond me anyhow

I don't know what stone your using so don't know if this would work but can you bed the joints in using concrete to the correct gradient the back fill allowing the stone to run under the pipe?
(This is how I was taught, as to whether there is a problem doing it this way I don't know)

 

[Furniss]

We set laser aligned to trench with the fall punched in the laser ... mark invert on staff - drop down X amount for how much stone we went under invert - dig trench to laser - come back up staff with receiver to invert - lay stone to invert - lay pipe on stone - check grades and then cover with gravel.
Works well - just looking for a way to get stone in more efficiently.

 

[Russell]

What about the hoppers they use to fill bulk bags at the aggregate yard. It's like a bucket for a loader but with some little hydraulic doors on the back

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[DaveDCB]

We set laser aligned to trench with the fall punched in the laser ... mark invert on staff - drop down X amount for how much stone we went under invert - dig trench to laser - come back up staff with receiver to invert - lay stone to invert - lay pipe on stone - check grades and then cover with gravel.
Works well - just looking for a way to get stone in more efficiently.

That’s what I do, works well, keeps the dumper driver from getting bored too