US1169234A - Drainage-excavator. - Google Patents

Description

M. G. BUNNELL.

DRAINAGE EXCAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1'. 1909.

Patented Jan; 25, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

VV/TNESSES rm: COLUMBIA X'LANOGRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON, D. c

M. G. BUNNELL. DRAINAGE EXCAVATOR. APPLICATION man JULY 1. 1909.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

A/EYS Patented Jan. 25, 1916.

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MORTON G. BUNNELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRAINAGE-EXQAVATOR.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Jan.25, 1916.

Application filed July 1, 1909. Serial No. 505,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MO ON G. BUNNL'LL,

a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illi-J nois, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Drainage-Excavators.

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to excavators of that type in which a runway upon which a bucket travels back and forth serves as a templet or shaping device for determining the cross sectional contour of the ditch. Prior to my invention, excavators of this kind have been so constructed that the wheels or tractors or other supporting devices traveled at each side of the ditch, or entirely at one side thereof. Other arrangements have been employed, but Without the results which I de-. sire to attain. With my improved construction, the runway overhangs the rear of the excavator, and the wheels or tractors or other supporting devices are arranged to travel ahead of the said runway. With this arrangement, the ditch is formed behind the excavator, and the latter travels on the ground which is afterward taken up by the bucket. In this way the excavator is adapted to form a wide and more or less shallow ditch the sides of which slope gently and gradually downward from the outer edges thereof to about the center of the excavation. The excavated dirt is dumped at opposite sides of the ditch, and the bucket smooths the inner sides or faces of the two. spoil banks, causing the same to form upward continuations of the sides of the excavation. Thus with a relatively shallow excavationa ditch of considerable capacity is made, as

the excavation may be of suliicient width to give a good volume of dirt at each side thereof, whereby sloping banks are formed at each side of sufi'icient height and distance apart at their crests to insure a large carry. ing capacity for the ditch. In fact the ditch is nearly as wide as the runway is long, and the entire cross sectional contourthereof is determined by the runway. With my improved arrangement, therefore, a large ditch can be made, capable of holding a large vol' ume of water, without going very deep in the ground. The said runway is adapted to be raised above ground, and the construction is such that the entireweight thereof does not fall on the lifting mechanism, as the outer hinged sections of the runway are carried on the frame of the excavator, and only a portion of the weight thereof is sustained by the lifting devices when the middle sec tion is lifted out of the ground. The runway, although of considerable length, is thus manipulated with more case and facility than heretofore. The nature and advantages of my invention, will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a rear elevation of an excavator embodying the principles of my invention, showing the runway in raised position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the excavator shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of the runway shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4L is an enlarged detail view of one of the rack and pinion devices for raising and lowering the frame to the lower end of which the central section of the runway is rigidly attached.

As thus illustrated, my invention com prises a body frame A supported by wheels or tractors or other devices B, two at each side thereof, and two in the middle, whereby the excavator is adapted to travel forward. At its front end there is a boiler C and an engine D for operating the drums E whereby the excavating mechanism is operated. The said excavating mechanism comprises a runway F disposed transversely of the ditch, and overhanging the rear end of the excavator, being composed of a middle section f and outer sections 7'. The said runway is supported upon the lower end of a frame G, provided at each side thereof with vertical racks g, which frame is adapted to slide up and down in the stationary frame H, which latter overhangs the rear end of the excavaton The said stationary frame is provided at each side thereof with a shaft upon which are mounted pinions which latter engage the racks 9. These shafts are operated by sprocket chain connections 9 which latter are connected at their lower ends with horizontal and longitudinally extending shafts 91*. These shafts r extend forward to the driving mechanism operated by the engine, and have any suit able connection therewith, whereby the power of the engine is used for raising and lowering the runway. The outer sections f of the runway have their inner ends pivotally connected at i r with the outer ends of the middle section of the runway, and the vsaio outer sections are supported in positicn by cables I, in'the manner shown.

These cableshave their outer ends attached that s to say,

to the runway sections at 2 at points some distance back from'the outer ends of the runway-and the said cables are then brought upward and over the sheaves c" on the upper end of the stationary frame The said cables are then crossed and brought. downward around the sheaves h on the stationary frame, and'the lower'ends.

of said cables'are then attached in any suitable manner to the middle section. f of thesection of the runway is raised, the outer sectionsmove downward slightly, as shown in Fig. 1. In the main, however, as stated,

the weight of the outer sections of the run way is employed to counterbalance the middle section, whereby less power is required to raise and lower the runway. The mechanlsm on the said runway for accomplishing I the excavating operation may be of any suitable known or approved character. As shown, the said mechanism consists of a bucket J which travelsback and forth thereon, through the medium'of rollers or wheels j that engage in the channels of the runway,

as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. As shown, this bucket is of the two-way typethat is to say, it is adapted to load by movement in either direction, so that the dirt is dumped first at oneside of theditch and then at the other. The said bucket is operated by cables 7" arranged to travel around sheaves 3' at the outer ends of the runway, andto connect finally with the power operated drum mechanism E, of any suitable form, at the front of'the excavator. The

bucket may be of any suitable character,

' and as shown is of the well known type in which the scoop-like structure has a mouth at each end thereof, and a cutting lip J for each mouth. The wall J is movable in the bucket, from one end thereof to the other, and serves to expel the load when the dumping position is reached. The means J for operating said wall, at opposite ends of the runway, may be of any suitable character.

By referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the wheels or tractors or other supporting devices are'arranged to travel ahead of the runway, and upon the ground which is afterward. taken up by the bucket. The outermost wheels or tractorsB travel upon theouter edges of the dirt that is displaced by the bucket,that is to say,upon the outer edges of the dirt to be excavated. The runway, it will be seen, is flaring in shape, outer ends being adapted to' form a ditch with gently sloping sides or banks. The middle; section of the runway is the only portion that really enters the ground, and it is so shaped that it makes only a shallow excavation. The entire runwa'yis adapted to serve, as a templet for determining the cross sectional contour of the ditch. The ditch is shallow but :very wide, and the banks thereof slope gently downward from the crestof one spoil bank X to the crest of the other spoil bank X, which latter are of some height above the groundline Y. It

.will be seen, therefore, that the excavation is very shallow, and that more of the ditchis above the ground line than below. Thus, a large ditch of ample carrying capacity is made without going very deep. in the ground.

This is of considerable advantage, as I. find. in many cases it 1s desirable to for-ma ditch of large capacity without extending the excavation very deep intotheground. Furthermore, and with a runway of the character shown, the excavator is adapted to work in sandy or loose soil, as the banks of the ditch are sloping and not liable to cavein after being formed. As stated, though, the chief advantage of my present improvement isthe capability of the excavator of produc-- ing a large ditch without the necessity of going very deep into the ground. 1

h The bucket J is preferably provided with a cutter j for operating on the face .or end wall X of the excavation. See Fig. 8. This enables the runway to move down to the re-v quired depth before moving forward, as said cutter extendsoutside of the runwaythat is, beyond the'side of the latter. The cutter J in other words, maintains a clearance betw-eenthe runway and the breast of the excavation, thereby permitting; the runway and bucket to sink gradually into the ground.

I do not limit myself to the eXact construction shown and described- What I claim as my invention is: V 1. In an excavator, a runway consisting of middle and outer sections, means for raisa mg and lowering the middle section, a frame above the middle section, means for impose ing some of the weight of the outer sections on the said frame, by connections extending over the said frame and down to the middle sections, whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fall on the raisingand low- 1 ering means, the said outer sections tending to counterbalance the said middle section.

2. In an excavator, a runway consisting of inner and outer sections, means for raising and lowering the inner section, a body frame, means for imposing some of the weight of the outer section on the body frame, by causing the outer section to counterbalance the inner section, whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fallon the raising and lo-wering means, and excavating means adapted totravel on said runway.

3. In an excavator, a body, means for supporting the body entirely in advance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch in rear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body, having bodily up and down adjustment, means for holding the runway against displacement, a bucket mounted on said runway, movable thereon from one side of the ditch to the other, a cutter operating on the breast of the excavation, directly below the rear end of said body, means for operating said bucket in one direction, means for returning the bucket in the opposite direction, along the same path, said runway being adapted to form a ditch with sloping sides, and means for causing said bucket to discharge on to the ground at the side of the ditch.

4. In an excavator, a body, means for supporting the body entirely in advance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch in rear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body, having vertical adjustment, means for holding the runway against displacement, cavating means on said runway, adapted to carry the dirt from one side of the ditch to the other, by traveling entirely across the ditch, a. cutter operating on the breast of the excavation, directly below the rear end of said body, said runway being adapted to form a ditch with sloping sides, and said excavating means discharging on to the ground at the side of the ditch.

5. In an excavator, a runway consisting of middle and outer sections, means for raising and lowering the middle section, a frame above the middle section, means for imposing some of the weight of the outer sections on the said frame, by connections extending over the said frame and down to the middle sections, whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fall on the raising and lowering means, the said outer sections tending to counterbalance the said middle section, said raising and lowering means comprising a sliding frame on which the runway is carried.

6. In an excavator, a runway consisting of inner and outer sections, means for raising and lowering the inner section, a body frame, means for imposing some of the weight of the outer section on the body frame, by causing the outer section to counterbalance the inner section, whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fall on the raising and lowering means, and excavating means adapted to travel on said runway, said raising and lowering means comprising a slidingframe on which the runway is carried. 1

7. In an excavator, a body, means for sup porting the body entirely in advance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch in rear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body, having bodily up and down adjustment, means for holding the runway against displacement, a bucket movable back and forth on said runway, from one side of the ditch to the other, said bucket having a mouth at each end thereof, means for operating said bucket, said runway being adapted to form a ditch with sloping sides, means for causing said bucketto discharge on to the round at the side of the ditch, and means "or causing a discharge at the other side of said ditch, which said bucket forms a spoil bank at both sides of the ditch, said bucket operating to slope and smooth the face of each spoil bank to provide a ditch of greater width than depth.

8. In an excavator, a body, means for sup porting the body entirely in advance of the excavation, permitting any depth and width of ditch in rear thereof, a transverse runway overhanging the rear of said body, having vertical adjustment, means for holding the runway against displacement, eXcaVating means on said runway, serving to carry the dirt from each side of the ditch to the other, said runway being adapted to form a ditch with sloping sides, said excavating means discharging on to the ground at the side of the ditch, and means for causing a discharge at the other side of said ditch, whereby said bucket forms a spoil bank at both sides of the ditch, said bucket operating to slope and smooth the face of each spoil bank to provide a ditch of greater width than depth.

9. In an excavator, a runway consisting of middle and outer sections, means for raising and lowering the middle section, a frame above the middle section, means for imposing some'of the weight of the outer sections on the said frame, by connections extending over the said frame and down to the middle sections, whereby the entire weight of the runway does not fall on the raising and lowering means, the said outer sections tending,

to counterbalance the said middle section, said raising and lowering means operating to change the angle of said outer sections when the runway is raised and lowered.

10. In an excavator, a runway consisting of inner and outer sections, means for raising and lowering the inner section, a body frame, mechanism for imposing some of the weight of the outer section on the body frame, by causing the outer section to counterbalance the inner section, whereby the entire weight ofthe runway does not fall Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this on the raising and lowering means, and eX- 18th day of June 1909. cavating' means adapted to travel on said MORTON G. BUNNELL.

runway, said mechanism operating to Witnesses: change the angle of said outer 'sectlons when WILLIAM ARIs, the runway 1s ralsed and lowered. E. H. CLEGG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing fche Commissioner of Yatents,

' Washington, 0.

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