The present invention relates to a transfer form, a method, and a form guide for filling and moving gabions.

Gabions are mesh structures, which are manufactured either by weaving from wire or are assembled by welding from mesh. The height, width, and depth dimensions vary. Gabions are used to support earth berms. They are also used to make walls, which protect against road-traffic noise and other irritating noise. They can also act as visual barriers and elements in landscape design.

Previously known gabions were assembled at the installation site of the wall. The gabions were filled by hand, or by dribbling from the bucket of an excavator, so that their manufacture has been expensive and time consuming. Gabions are usually filled with stones, but they can also be filled with other materials. The mechanical filling of gabions speeds up the work and can be done protected from the weather, so that weather conditions will not hinder the work. If the gabions are filled on ground level, there will be no need for separate work platforms when assembling berms.

The present invention is intended to create a transfer form, a method, and a form guide, with the aid of which the filling and movement of gabions can be performed quickly and in a controlled manner.

The characteristic features of the invention are stated in the accompanying Claims.

In the following, the invention is described in greater detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show the transfer form and form guide for filling gabions. The method will become apparent on the basis of the device descriptions and the method descriptions relating to them. Figure 1 shows an axonometric view of the transfer form according to the invention and a gabion;

Figure 2 shows a work station intended for filling the device according to Figure 1 ; and

Figure 3 shows the surroundings of the work stage, in which a filled gabion is placed in its final position. Thus, according to the invention, gabions are filled, from which berms, or walls, or similar structures can be built.

Figure 1 shows the essential elements in terms of the invention, i.e. a gabion 1 , which is thus a mesh structure, the cover 1a of which is open, or can be opened, or can be set in place in a later stage.

A second essential part is a transfer form 2, in which there is a space delimited by walls corresponding to the dimensions of a gabion, into which the gabion 1 can be placed. On two sides of the form 2, there is a foot system 3 rotating to a limited extent around pivots 20, the more precise purpose of which will be explained hereinafter, but which in a known manner changes its position according to the lifting point acting upon it. Thus, when lifting from the point marked with the reference letter A, the feet 3 rotate around the pivot point 20 to the position shown in Figure 1 , in which the extensions 3a of the feet 3 extend into the space, into which it is intended to place the gabion 1 , to form a base to hold the gabion in place. The extensions 3a can be bar-shaped, but particularly plate-shaped, at least on one side of the form 2. A plate-like structure will provide excellent support for the gabion 1. It will be explained hereinafter how, on the other hand, when lifting from point B, the lower part of the feet 3 rotate outwards, thus moving out of the aforementioned space and releasing the gabion, so that lifting the form will leave the gabion in place. Figure 2 shows one alternative for a gabion-filling station. The filling of the gabions is commenced by placing a gabion in the transfer form 2 and bringing the transfer form 2 to the work site, into the vicinity of the filling machine. Of course, the gabion 1 can be placed in the transfer form also immediately before filling is begun. It is ensured that the extensions 3a of the feet 3 of the transfer form are rotated to form a base of the receiving space of the gabion 1. For example, this takes place by performing the lifting operations from the location of the line A marked in Figure 1. The filling machine is installed in a horizontal position with the aid of support feet 5 and, if desired, the sets of transportation wheels 13 are moved away.

The cover 1a of the gabion is opened, if it already has a cover at this stage. In this situation, the gabion 1 is well supported by the transfer form 2. The transfer form 2, inside which the gabion 1 is moved, using particularly lifting lugs 4 and an auxiliary hoist 11 , on top of a vibrating table 9, and then lowered, when the hoisting belts are also detached.

Next, the materials silo 6 is filled, using an excavator or similar. The filling of the gabion 1 is started by moving the vibrating table 9, on top of which is the transfer form 2 and the gabion 1 inside it, under the material feeds 7. The vibrator of the vibrating table 9 and the material feeds 7 are then started. The filling material dropping from the material feeds 7 is guided through a material guide 8, and by a lateral movement of the vibrating table 9 the surface of the gabion 1 is formed as an even layer while simultaneously vibrating, so that the gabion becomes densely packed and cannot collapse. There may be several layers of filling material, depending on the gabion 1. The feeders 7 are stopped between the layers and intermediate securing of the gabion 1 takes place, according to the manufacturing instructions for the gabion 1. The reference number 12 is used to mark the power unit, which is usually a diesel engine for operating the various movements and hydraulic cylinders.

Once the gabion 1 is full, the transfer form 2 on the vibrating table 9 is lifted by the main hoist 10 to the ground and the cover of the gabion 1 is closed. The transfer form 2, with the gabion 1 inside it, is taken to the installation site by an excavator or similar transfer machine.

A special form guide, which is shown in Figure 3, is used to build a wall formed of gabions 1. In the situation shown in Figure 3, the wall has already been built to the extent of a few gabions. The form guide 14 is set parallel to the line of the wall being built. The line can be straight or curved, so that the line of the form guide 14 is adjusted as desired. The form guide 14 is guided from its rear end with the aid of side guides 18 parallel to the previous gabion 1. In this embodiment, the side guides are formed of essentially vertical beams, but the guides can, understandably, be of other types. The front end of the form guide 14 is pressed onto the gabion 1 beneath it with the aid of attachment arms 15 and adjusted laterally using side transveyers 17 to become parallel to the desired wall line.

Once the form guide 14 has been set on the correct line, a transfer form 2, with a full gabion 1 inside it, is lowered into the form guide, when it assumes the correct position. In the direction parallel to the wall line of the transfer form 2, there is a certain tolerance, in order to facilitate placing. Thus, the transfer form 2 is lowered close to the previous gabion 1. The final placing tightly as a continuation of the previous gabion takes place by pressing the transfer form 2 against the previous gabion, using a press 16, which pushes the gabion 1 in its longitudinal direction. Thus, the gabions 1 are placed tightly against each other at their ends.

Next, the lifting belts of the transfer form are moved to the outer lifting point 2 marked with the letter symbol B in Figure 1 and lifting of the transfer form 2 is started. This causes the rotation of the feet 3 around the pivot points 20, so that the extensions 3a (Figure 1 ) of the feet move outwards from the gabion's centre line. Thus, the base support for the gabion 1 , from the state of the transfer form 2, is removed and further lifting of the transfer form 2 leaves the gabion on top of the gabion already in place. When the lifting is continued, the outward continuations 3b (Figure 1) of the feet 3 catch on the intermediate support 19 of the form guide and raise the form guide. The form guide is moved to the next gabion 1 installation location, where the form guide is placed on top of the gabion already there. When the lifting belts are released, they are moved to the inner lifting point A and lifting is commenced, when the extensions 3a of the feet 3 move inwards to form the base of the transfer form. The transfer form 2 then rises freely upwards, leaving the form guide in place. The freed transfer form 2 is taken by an excavator to the rear end of the filling machine to await refilling.

The cycle described above continues and thus a wall or berm, or a similar structure of gabions is created, vastly more quickly and cheaply than when using traditional procedures. It is obvious that the above description is of only one practical example of the invention and that many details can be resolved in many other ways, without, nevertheless, deviating from the inventive idea and the scope of protection defined by the accompanying Claims.