US1225327A - Ditching-machine. - Google Patents

Description

W. W'. HARTSOUGH.

DITCHING MACHINE..

APPLICAUON HLED APH. 24, 1.915.

192259327@ Patented May 8, 1917.

f A l l WITNESSES: IIVVENTOH ms Nonms persas co.. Fuomuma.. wAsmNumN. u r:v

'PATENT WALTER W. tHARTSOUGH, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESTA.

DITCHING-WACHINE.

Application led April 24, 1915.

, is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in ditching; machines.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a ditching' machine of the character described including' a suitable framework, the rear end of which is mounted upon a single traction wheel, centrally located with respect to the sides of the frame, so as to travel in the ditch being dug' and the front end of which is supported by suitable guide wheels arranged to travel 0n each side 0f the line of the ditch. the front end of the frame be-y ing vertically adjustable relative to said guide wheels so that the depth of the ditch may be easily gagged.

The invention also embodies a suitable driving' mechanism and a knife carrying' drum in operative connection therewith.

further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a conveying mechanism, whereby the earth excavated from the ditch may be carried therefrom and delivered to either side thereof. as may be desired.

A. still further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a frame worm whose side members are independently adjustable, thereby impart-inf;r a certain amount of flexibility to the said frame work so that it may be accommodated to bends or turns in the course of the ditch.

With the above and other objects in view, which will be set forth more specifically hereinafter, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, and operation. an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view of the device.

Fia'. 2 is a front end view thereof, with the guide wheels removed for the sake of clearness.

Fie'. 3 is a sectional side elevation thereof.

Figs. and 5 show fragmentary views of the framework, showing; means whereby the side members are adjustable.

Fie'. 6 shows a detail view of the mecha- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed lvlay 8, litl'.

Serial No. 23,588.

nism whereby the knife carrying drum, or the driving mechanism of the machine may be reversed. y

Fig. 7 shows a frontend view of the knife carrying` drum.

Fig. S shows a detail view of the knife guiding mechanism.

Fie. 9 shows a side elevation of one of the guide wheels, showing its connection to the frame of the machine,

Fia'. lO shows a side lelevation of a lubricatino; reservoir, from'which a lubricant is discharged on to the scraping'blades of the conveying` mechanism. y

Fig. il is a fragmentary plan view of the drum showing one of the cutters carried by the operative end thereof.

Referring' now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numerals 1, l refer to the side members of the supporting frame work and the numerals 2, 2 refer to the end members thereof. The side members are each formed in two Darts. said parts beine,` connected together by means of the ties 3. Each tie has an oblong slot as et, extending from end to end thereof and set bolts 5, 5 pass tirouejh the slots of each tie and engage with the respective sections of the side members l, 1. By loosening; these set bolts the sections of the side members may be adjusted toward or from each other. and said set bolts then again tightened, and said sectionsv fixed in the desired position relative to each other. A -certain amount of flexibility is thusimparted to the frame work. so that it may be made to accommodate itself bends or curves in the ditch beine excavated. The rear end of the frame work is supported by a large tract-ion wheel 6, which is fined on the axle 7. rotatable in suitable bearings 8, S, carried bythe lenejthwise supporting' members 9, 9. This traction wheel is centrally located relative to the side members 0f the frame work, so as to travel in the ditch being' excavated. This wheel will thus always have a smooth even surface over which to move. The rear end of the frame work has a suitable motor 10. having); the drive shaft 11, one end of which has a bevel gea-r wheel 12 fixed thereon. This bevel lgear wheel meshes with the corresponding bevel gear wheel 18, fixed on the rear end of the forwardly extending shaft 14. This last mentioned shaft is rotatable in suitable bearings as 15, carried by the frame work and its forward end has a bevel gear wheel 16 fixed thereon which meshes with the corresponding bevel gear wheel 17, which is fixed on the adjacent end of the counter shaft 18. This last mentioned shaft is rotatable in suitable bearings 19 carried by the side members 1, 1 of the framework.

The inner side of the rim of the traction wheel 6 has a spur gear face 2O and meshing therewith is the spur gear wheel 21, which is fixed on the inner end of a short transverse shaft 22, which is rotatable in a suitable bearing carried by one of the supporting members 9. The outer end of this shaft 22 has a bevel gear wheel 23, fixed thereon, which meshes with a corresponding bevel gear wheel 24, which is fixed on the rear end of a short shaft 25 extending lengthwise of the framework and rotatable in the bearings 26, 26 carried thereby. The front end of this shaft 25 has the bevel gear wheel 27 fixed thereon, which may be alternatively brought into mesh with the bevel gear wheels 28 and 29, as will now be explained. lThese gear wheels 28 and 29 are fixed on the opposing ends of a sleeve 30, which is slidable on, but keyed to, the shaft 18 and the facing sides of said gear wheels have bevel gear faces in alinement with the gear face of the wheel 27. The sleeve 30 is actuated by means of a hand lever 31, whose lower end is pivoted to the frame work, but which has an operative connection with said sleeve. As the sleeve is manipulated back and forth, the gear wheel 27 is alternatively brought into mesh with the gear wheels 28 and 29 and the entire machine is driven forwardly, or rearwardly accordingly as the gear wheel 27 is in operative connection with the one or the other of the gear wheels 28 or 29.

The forward end of the framework carries a drum 32, which is fixed on the shaft 33, rotatable in suitable bearings carried by the framework. The rear end of this drum has a peripheral spur gear face 34, which meshes with the spur gear wheel 35 fixed on the front end of the shaft 36. This shaft rotates inthe bearings 37, 37, carried by the cross braces 38, 38 of the framework and the rear end of the shaft 36 has a bevel gear wheel 39 fixed thereon. This bevel gear wheel 39 is alined between bevel gear wheels 40 and 41, which are fixed on opposing ends of the sleeve 42, which is slidable on, but keyed to the shaft 18. This sleeve is manipulated back and forth on the shaft 18 by means of a hand lever 43, similar in function and construction to the hand lever 31. The gear wheels 40 and 41 may thus be alternatively brought into mesh with the .gear wheel 39 and the drum 32 driven in either direction accordingly. The shaft 36 has a universal joint 44 provided so as to permit said shaft to accommodate itself to the various adjustments of the front and rear part of the framework, as hereinbefore explained.

Fixed to the front end of the framework is a transverse rod, or axle 45. Each end of this axle has a bearing member 46, which is adjustable thereon but which may be fixed in any desired position relative thereto by means of the set bolt 47. Each bearing member 46 has a forward extension 48, through which extends vertically a tapped hole which receives the outwardly threaded shaft 49, whose upperend has the hand wheel 50 fixed thereto, and by means of which the shaft may be turned. The lower end of each shaft 49 has a guidewheel 51 carried thereby. rThe connection between the shaft 49 and the guide wheel 51 is that of the ordinary caster, so that said shaft may be rotated without rotating said wheel. The bearing members 46 are made adjustable on the axle 45 so that the guide wheels 51 may be adjusted relative to each other, so as to accommodate them to wide or narrow ditches and the shafts 49 have threaded connections with the extensions 48 so that the front end of the frame work maybe elevated and lowered and the depth of the ditch thus regulated.

rThe drum 32 is partially surrounded underneath by means of a scoop 52, preferably formed of sheet metal and which is fixed to and suspended from the front end of the framework. |The form of this scoop, in cross section, conforms in shape to the desired contour of the ditch to be excavated and as the machine moves forward, it gathers up the loose dirt delivered from the cutting knives carried on the front end of the drum and from this scoop the said dirt is discharged by the conveying mechanism, hereinafter to be described. rThe rear end of the scoop is inclosed by means of the 'transverse wall 53, preferably formed of sheet metal or some other like material and the front edge of the scoop is sharp so as to readily cut through andl scoop up the earth. Diverging each way from the scoop upwardly are two conveying chutes 54, 54, channel like in cross section, up which the earth is conveyed, and from which it is discharged on either side of the ditch, as may be desired.

rThe drum 32 is provided with two circumferential rows of sprocket teeth, indinel 59 extending transvcrselyL of the machine and alined above the chutes 5st, rEhe sprocket chains 56, 56 carry a plurality o-f Scrapers 60, whose free edges pass along the lchutes -t and gather up the earth collected in the scoop. 52 and force it up the chutes 5l, Sil and discharge it frointhe upper ends thereof.

A lubricating oil tank 6l is provided, which is arranged over the channel and fixed in position relative thereto by means of the legs Depending from the bottom of this tank is a brush 63 onto which the oil filters from thetank in the manner of the ordinary wi lt is obvious thatl as the Scrapers 60 pass. along the channel 59, their free edges will project upwardly and the brush 623 projects down far enough. to come in contact with said scrapers as they pass along and the sides of the scrapers next to come in contact with the earth to be discharged will be oiled and the earth will thus he prevented from adhering to said scrapers.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 7, the front end of the drum is provided with four radiating cutters, each indicated by the numeral 64, but a greater or less number of cutters may be employed, as may be found most practical. lEach cutter is formed of a flat blade, each edge of which is a cutting edge and the inner end of each cutter is pivoted to the forward end of the drum eccentrically, as at the points 65, and the outer end of each cutter is turned backwardly at right angles to the blade thereof, said back turned portions extending laterally each way from the body of the blade, and being arcuate in shape and the ends of these lateral extensions are also provided with sharp cutting edges, as 66, 66. rllhese cutters are arranged just in front of the front end of the scoop 52 and cut away the earth and the same falls down into the bottom of the scoop 52 as hereinbefore explained.

Each blade 64 has a limited amount of movement, but this movement is restricted by means of straps 67, whose ends are bolted or otherwise secured to the front end of the drum 32. A narrow space is left between each strap and the front end of the drum 32 and in these spaces the blades 64e play, as indicated in Fig. 8. `When the drum is travel ing in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 8, the cutters 64 will assume the position, as indicated in dotted lines in said ure and the slot provided between each strap 67 and the drum is slightly arcuate and the ends of said slot taper slightly, so that the blade wedges therein and the forward or cutting edge thereof is inclined forwardly, or toward the earth to be excavated and thus readily takes hold of the earth to be cut away. When the rotation of the drum is reversed, it is obvious that the cutter will automatically assume a position in the end of the slot opposite that in which it is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. S and the other edge thereof will then assume an outward inclination, as said other edge will then be brought into service. rThe inner ends of the blades are pivoted to the drum by universal joints of any well known type so as to permit this lateral oscillation of the blades 64. Bymeason of the fact that the inner ends of the blades 6a are pivoted eccentrically to the front end of the drum 32, when one of the cutting edges 66 is brought into service, the other of said edges, carried by the same blade, will describe smaller circle than said operating edge and there will consequently be a clearance between the back turned portion of each blade and the surface being cut away, thus minimizing the friction between the blades and said surface.

lt is obvious that the ditch excavated by these cutters will be semi-cylindrical in form' and in order to give the sides of said ditch smooth diverging surfaces and a contour, like that indicated in Fig. 2, I have provided a forward extension 68, 68 projecting from the front side of each of the chutes 54, 54. rllhese extensions are integral with and form continuations of the front end of the scoop 52, and their front edges are sharp cutting edges, which pass along and cut away any projections extending from the sides of the ditch and leave said sides with a smooth finished surface.

Vhat l claim is l. ln a device of the character described, a rotatable drum, a plurality of knives radiating relative to each other and whose inner ends are pivoted to the forward end of said drum, each edge of each knife being a cutting edge, a strap for each knife, each end of each strap being secured to the drum and each strap being spaced from the drum, providing a slot in which each knife oscillates, each slot being arcuate in contour, so as to cause a lateral oscillation of the knife as it moves back and forth in said slot.

2. ln a device of the character described, a rotatable drum, a knife whose inner end is pivoted to one end of said drum and whose outer end extends beyond the periphery of said drum, each edge of said knife being a cutting edge, a means for securing the knife against the end of the drum, said means providing a slot through which the knife projects and in which it has a limited lateral movement, said slot being so shaped as to hold the operative edge of the knife at an outwardly diverging angle relative to the end of the drum.

3. A device of the character described including a supporting frame, a drum rotatably mounted at one end thereof, a chute arranged on each side of the drum and carried by the frame, said chutes diverging upwardly from the drum, an endless conveyer driven by the drum and traveling along said chutes, Scrapers carried by said conveyer, Whose free enges travel along the bottom of said chutes and convey material along the chutes and discharge it from the upper end thereof, means for driving said drum, a reversing mechanism whereby said driving means may be caused to operate in either direction, cutting blades carried by the forivard end of the drum, by means of which the material to be excavated is delivered into the path of said conveyer.

4C. ln a device of the character described, a rotatable drum, a plurality of knives radiating relative to each other and Whose inner ends are pivoted to the forward end of said drum, the free end of each knife being widened, each edge of each knife being formed into a cutting edge and means permitting a limited lateral operation of each knife.

5. In a device of the character described, a rotatable drum, a plurality of knives radiating relative to each other and Whose inner ends are pivoted to the end of said drum, the free end ofeach knife being turned at right angles to the body thereof, each edge of said knife being formed into a cutting edge and the bearing in Which each knife operates, perinitting a limited lateral movement thereof.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

WALTER W. iiaiifrsoiieii.

Witnesses:

JOS. M. REED, N. D. BnssEM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, B. C.

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