US1194963A - Bteabow-tbenchisra machine - Google Patents

Description

B. CURRIER. MEADOW TRENCHING MACHINE. APPLlcATloN man MAR. 5. $915.

\J INVENTOR FRANK B. CUBRIER, OF EJZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

' MnAnow-rnnircnine MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

atented Aug, 15, 1916.

' I ApplicationfiledcMarch5,1915. Serial No. 12,252.

construction for digging and conveying' away turf.

The invention. has for its general object to provide a combined digging and conveying bucket of novel, -simple and durable con- Y l struction, and especially designed with the aim of causing the buckets to quickly and effectively discharge their contents, which is especially desirable in. trenching machines, for the reason that the earth is heavy and soggy and is dumped with difficulty 'because 4of the vacuum or suctien'produced 'asthe material attempts to drop out of the bucket when inverted, when the bucketfisl of that type having only one open face, and conipletely closed at all other points. y

More specifcall ,the invention has for its object to provide a conveyer in which the back of the bucket is made up of slats separated one from another so as to provide spaces, the slats serving 'to retain material that is cut or dug by the bucket as the bucket moves upwardly out ofthe trench and to a-` considerable height where the point of discharge islocated, and when the bucket is in-` verted to discharge its contents, the latter freely drops out, because there is an avoid-4 ance of all tendency to a suction or vacuum, because ofthe openings between the slats .that form the wall of the bucketl opposite from the open side, and by reason of this construction the buckets can operate at a maximum speed Awithout the necessity of stopping the conveyer to clean out clogged buckets, which is an objection commonly encountered with buckets closed at all points except at the open side where the material enters.-

With such objects in View, and others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views,

Figure 1 1s a plan view of a portion of aA chain conveyer with the improved bucket construction; Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the body of a-'bucket detached from the conveyer chain or carrier; Fig. 4 is a sectional view show ing the digging action of the buckets; Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the dumping action of the buckets; Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing the range of movement of a bucket during its dumping action; and Fig. 7 is al perspective viewof one of the pairs of slats forming the back or bottom of the bucket.

Referring to the drawingv A designates the buckets and B the endless carrier or chain structure to whicli the buckets are attached, such Aendless carrier being designed for use in connection with any kind of trenching orv other machine. The means for supporting and driving the endless carrier Bvliave not been shown, as the saine form no part ofthe present invention. l

As shown in Fig. each bucket comprises end walls l which are united by a connect-` ing wall 2 that forms a cutter, scoop or shovel element wherebyftlie turf or earth is dug inA the manner shown i in Fig. e. .In other words, the bucket isla U-shaped structure open at all points between the end'walls l1, except the side where the cutter element 2 is located. The material is" li'el'd in the bucket, however, by makinguse of the carrier B as a back or bottom for the bucket. This carrier B is made up of slats arianged side by side, but having their edges 4.- spaced apart, and the leading portions of the bucket's are pivotally connected with theendiess carrier so that the body oftheb'uckets can swing clear ,of the lcarrier at the point of 'dis charge of thel material, as shown inFigs. 5 and 6. Each slat 3, 'as shown in Fig. (,f'has at its l'ends,""'pposite'ly nproje ':ting"'a'p e'ertured lugs 5, and* the lugs of adjacenty -slatsoverlap, as shown in Fig; .1, andare connected by pins or rivets 6 which pass through tlielugs.l Associated with the ends ofthe slats are links a7" which .-'aie fastened to the slats by the'pins or rivets 6, and interposed between lthelinks 7 and ends of the slats and surrounding the rivet's or pins 6' are spacing sleeves 8.

25 Figs .and l5.

.lt will thus be seen that the endless carrier is made up of two parallel chains and intermediate connect-ing slats 3 andthe pins o torni abutnients with which teeth on drive a sprockets or idlers engage to support and drive the endless carrier. The buckets are wider than the carrier, and the end walls 1 of the buckets lie outside the edges oi the carrier. The leading portions of the end 1o walls 1 of the bucket body are provided with apertures 9, as shown in Fig. 3, and through these'apertures extend the rivets 6, so that the .bucket will have a swinging movement on an axis passing through the leading portion thereof. In the prese t instance the carrier is shown with two s ts to A a bucket, but the number niaybe changed if desired. It is necessary to limit 'the clearing or swinging movement of the buckets at the point of discharge,- and for this purposethe end walls are provided with stops l0 which are adapted to engage with the carrier at a4 point' ahead of the axis on which the bucket swings, as clearly shown in During the movement of a bucket from a point where material is received to a'point where it is discharged, the trailing end of the bucket will bear against the carrier by the edge 1l of the cutting Wall bearing against the slats andlinks, as

clearly shown in Fig. 4. Thus the carrier .forms a backing which takes the thrustnof the buckets during the cutting action, a'nd the slats of the carrier serve to support the turf or earth in the buckets, as the latter move to the point of discharge. Then the point of discharge is reached, each bucket .will swing on its pivot through an angle of about ninety degrees, and in lswinging the 40 bucket moves away from the carrier so that j the material can readily' drop out Without suction 4or vacuum interfering, as Would be the case if the bucket Was closed at all points except that side that receives the material.

As the end,` ,ss carrier makes al comparatively sharp turn at 'the point of discharge -the slats associated with 'each bucket will move into the latter to aconsiderabl'e extent and thereby assist ineject'ing the material and Vinsure'the self-dumpingof the buckets.

y From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accoinpanying,drawii1g, `the"advantages fof the construction and methd of operation will be readily under- 5.5 'stood bythose skilledV thev art to Which the'invention'appertains, and Whilel haveV described the` principle of operation, to-

gether with the apparatus which I now consider'fto be the best embodiment thereof, I

desire to have it understood that the ap a- 'ratusshown is merely `illustrative audit atv such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the appended claims. Having thus described my invention, I

' claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent: t

l. ln a machine of the class described, the combination ot an endless conveyer including. a series ot' transverse slats liingedly connected together, a series of buckets hingedly connected at their forward edgesto the conveyer and each bucket being associated With a plurality of slats` whereby the latter form a bottoni for holding material as the `Conveyor moves upwardly, and means on each bucket whereby the latter swings forwardly and downwardlyv at the point where the lovver flight of the conveyor begins, whereby the bucket frees itseltl from the material.

Ar endless conveyor composed of hingedl y connected slats extending transversely to the length of the conveyer, buckets opened at the front and topaiid bottoni and having only their front portions hingedly connected with the conveyor, whereby the slats form the bottoms otl the buckets to support the weight of the material on the upl per flight of the conveyer, and stop'ineans for the buckets arranged to permit the latter to swing forwardly and downwardly and engage the conveyer to support the buckets in outstanding position with respect to the downward flight of the conveyer.

An endless conveyer composed of hingedly con'vected slats extending transversely to the length of the conveyer, buckets' opened at the front and top and bottom vand having only their front portions vhlingedly connected with the vconveyer,

whereby the slats forni the bottom of the buckets to support the' weight of the material on the upper flight of the conveyer,'

and stop means for the buckets arranged to permit thelatter to swing forwardly and I downwardly and engage the conveyer to support the buckets in outstanding position with respect to the downward Hight of the conveyer, each bucket being ot such size as to embrace a plurality of slats ot the conveyer, whereby the slats arch upwardly into the buckets where the upper flight merges 'into the lower Hight, to thereby loosen the' material in the bucket preparatory to the outward anddownward l,swing of the buckets.

name to this specification in the presence ot two subscribing Witnesses,

H`Wiincssesz C. BRADWAY, G., II. Ensim.

'Initestiniony whereof I have signed my.

FRANK B. CURRIER;v

Images