GB2129384A

GB2129384A - Transporter for tracked machines

Info

Publication number: GB2129384A
Application number: GB08231552A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Ernest Roberts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-11-04
Filing date: 1982-11-04
Publication date: 1984-05-16
Also published as: GB2129384B

Abstract

The cost of providing a tracked machine on site for performing operations such as excavating and bulldozing is often very largely determined of providing a low-loader with its attendant overheads. The invention eliminates these or reduces them to reasonable proportions by providing a vehicle which has no power unit of its own but is powered and steered hydraulically from the machine being carried. The vehicle can be relatively light so as to be capable of being towed when required by a small vehicle such as a truck or Land-Rover, so that it can be moved cheaply between jobs. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Transporter for tracked machines This invention relates to a vehicle for transporting machines such as diggers, bulldozers and the like that are mounted on tracks and cannot be driven for substantial distances on public roads. When such machines are used on sites for short periods the cost of providing transport for them on a low-loader becomes a major item of expense, and can sometimes exceed by several times the cost of actually supplying and operating the machine for the time it is needed to be used.

According to the invention a transporting vehicle comprises a frame for carrying a tracked machine, the frame being provided with driving road wheels and with steerable road wheels, the drive and the steering being effected hydraulically from the tracked machine that is being carried and the driving power being derived from the motor of the machine. Conveniently, the power for and the control inputs for operating the various services on the transporter, such as steering, brakes, speed and gear-changing are under direct control of the driver in the cab of the machine and are carried out by tapping off hydraulic fluid from suitable points on the machine frame.In the case of a digger, for example, hydraulic connections would be taken through the main turntable of the machine for driving the tracks and these can be brought to a breakaway coupling so that the drive to the tracks is disconnected and hydraulic hoses from the transporter connected to them to supply power to the motor of the transporter. Similarly, hoses for the other services of the transporter are connected to suitable points on the machine and the transporter can then be driven by the driver of the machine sitting in his cab. This means that, not only is the transporter a relatively inexpensive vehicle which can be left on site or can be towed away for use elsewhere, but no second driver is required when it is needed to move the machine to another site.

Steering of tracked machines is frequently carried out by means of a pair of ievers which operate clutches and/or brakes on the tracks and it is envisaged according to the invention that it may be desirable to provide a detachable steering wheel unit that can be installed temporarily in the cab of the machine. This can be of the kind used in some tractors with power-assisted steering, where the main power is provided hydraulically but a hydrostatic connection is maintained in case of power failure.

One form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a transporter according to the invention with a tracked digger in position upon it.

The transporter of the invention comprises a frame 1 which is provided with driving road wheels 2 and steerable road wheels 3. The digger which is shown mounted upon the transporter has a tracked chassis indicated generally at 4 provided with a turntable 5 carrying a frame 6 which has a power unit 7, usually in the form of a diesel engine and pump, and a main jib beside which is arranged a control cab 9. The jib 8 carries a digging arm 10, only part of which is shown. When in the driving position the turntable 5 is locked in the straightahead position and hydraulic power is made available through the cab controls for the various functions such as steering by the tracks, braking and operation of the drive motor or motors.

In the example shown, three double hydraulic breakaway couplings are provided on the frame 6, indicated at 11, 12 and 13. These couplings are supplied with hydraulic fluid either from suitable fluid lines within the frame 6, or in some cases it may be more convenient to supply them by means of external pipes 14 taken from the control valves in the cab 9. The couplings 11, 12 and 13 are connected by flexible hoses 1 5, all of which are brought to a header 1 6 on the transporter. Fluid is distributed from the header 1 6 to the various services required to operate the transporter. Two of the hoses feed a double acting ram 1 7 which operates on a drag link to steer the road wheels 3.

A further hose supplies hydraulic fluid for braking.

A further two hoses supply hydraulic power fluid to operate a drive motor 1 8 which drives the rear axle 1 9 of the transporter.

In cases where the machine is equipped with a hydrostatic drive employing a variable displacement pump, the motor 1 8 can be a positive displacement motor and speed and torque can be controlled directly from the cab 9 by changing the swash angle of the pump. In other cases however it will usually be necessary to arrange for the drive from the motor 1 8 to be transmitted to the axle 1 9 through a gear box 20.

The gear box 20 is preferably an automatic box responsive to torque requirements of the transporter, while manual controls needed for operation are transmitted to the gear box through a further one of the hoses 1 5.

1. A transporting vehicle for heavy plant comprising a frame for carrying a tracked machine, the frame being provided with driving and steerable road wheels, a hydraulic drive motor, a hydraulic steering motor and hydraulic connections for connecting said motors to a hydraulic power source and control devices on a machine to be transported.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said hydraulic connections terminate in a control unit provided with means for detachably mounting in an operative position in a cab of a machine to be transported.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the control unit includes a steering wheel and a steering control unit of the kind which provides a direct manually operated hydrostatic connection to the steering motor in the event of hydraulic power failure.

4. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the vehicle includes a hydraulic drive motor driving one or more axles

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Transporter for tracked machines This invention relates to a vehicle for transporting machines such as diggers, bulldozers and the like that are mounted on tracks and cannot be driven for substantial distances on public roads. When such machines are used on sites for short periods the cost of providing transport for them on a low-loader becomes a major item of expense, and can sometimes exceed by several times the cost of actually supplying and operating the machine for the time it is needed to be used. According to the invention a transporting vehicle comprises a frame for carrying a tracked machine, the frame being provided with driving road wheels and with steerable road wheels, the drive and the steering being effected hydraulically from the tracked machine that is being carried and the driving power being derived from the motor of the machine. Conveniently, the power for and the control inputs for operating the various services on the transporter, such as steering, brakes, speed and gear-changing are under direct control of the driver in the cab of the machine and are carried out by tapping off hydraulic fluid from suitable points on the machine frame.In the case of a digger, for example, hydraulic connections would be taken through the main turntable of the machine for driving the tracks and these can be brought to a breakaway coupling so that the drive to the tracks is disconnected and hydraulic hoses from the transporter connected to them to supply power to the motor of the transporter. Similarly, hoses for the other services of the transporter are connected to suitable points on the machine and the transporter can then be driven by the driver of the machine sitting in his cab. This means that, not only is the transporter a relatively inexpensive vehicle which can be left on site or can be towed away for use elsewhere, but no second driver is required when it is needed to move the machine to another site. Steering of tracked machines is frequently carried out by means of a pair of ievers which operate clutches and/or brakes on the tracks and it is envisaged according to the invention that it may be desirable to provide a detachable steering wheel unit that can be installed temporarily in the cab of the machine. This can be of the kind used in some tractors with power-assisted steering, where the main power is provided hydraulically but a hydrostatic connection is maintained in case of power failure. One form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a transporter according to the invention with a tracked digger in position upon it. The transporter of the invention comprises a frame 1 which is provided with driving road wheels 2 and steerable road wheels 3. The digger which is shown mounted upon the transporter has a tracked chassis indicated generally at 4 provided with a turntable 5 carrying a frame 6 which has a power unit 7, usually in the form of a diesel engine and pump, and a main jib beside which is arranged a control cab 9. The jib 8 carries a digging arm 10, only part of which is shown. When in the driving position the turntable 5 is locked in the straightahead position and hydraulic power is made available through the cab controls for the various functions such as steering by the tracks, braking and operation of the drive motor or motors. In the example shown, three double hydraulic breakaway couplings are provided on the frame 6, indicated at 11, 12 and 13. These couplings are supplied with hydraulic fluid either from suitable fluid lines within the frame 6, or in some cases it may be more convenient to supply them by means of external pipes 14 taken from the control valves in the cab 9. The couplings 11, 12 and 13 are connected by flexible hoses 1 5, all of which are brought to a header 1 6 on the transporter. Fluid is distributed from the header 1 6 to the various services required to operate the transporter. Two of the hoses feed a double acting ram 1 7 which operates on a drag link to steer the road wheels 3. A further hose supplies hydraulic fluid for braking. A further two hoses supply hydraulic power fluid to operate a drive motor 1 8 which drives the rear axle 1 9 of the transporter. In cases where the machine is equipped with a hydrostatic drive employing a variable displacement pump, the motor 1 8 can be a positive displacement motor and speed and torque can be controlled directly from the cab 9 by changing the swash angle of the pump. In other cases however it will usually be necessary to arrange for the drive from the motor 1 8 to be transmitted to the axle 1 9 through a gear box 20. The gear box 20 is preferably an automatic box responsive to torque requirements of the transporter, while manual controls needed for operation are transmitted to the gear box through a further one of the hoses 1 5. CLAIMS

4. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the vehicle includes a hydraulic drive motor driving one or more axles direct through a gear box.

4. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the vehicle includes a hydraulic drive motor driving one or more axles through an automatic gear box.

5. A vehicle according to claim 4 wherein controls of the automatic gear box are operated hydraulically from the machine being transported.

6. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the vehicle is provided with a hitch and with steerable wheels coupled thereto in such a way that the vehicle can be towed by another vehicle.

7. A vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on date of issue of SLI Superseded claims 1, 3 and 4.

New or amended claims

1. A transporting vehicle for heavy plant comprising a frame for carrying a tracked machine, the frame being provided with driving and steerable road wheels, a hydraulic drive motor, a hydraulic steering motor and hydraulic connections for connecting said motors to a hydraulic power source and control devices on the machine to be transported.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2 wherein the control unit includes a steering control unit of the kind which provides a direct manually operated hydrostatic connection to the steering motor.