US1292363A - Tower-excavator. - Google Patents

Description

C. G. OGLESBY.

TOWER EXCAVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. a. 1916.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

- I STATES PANT OFFICE- CHARLES e. OGLESBY, or MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNORY 'ro BUCYRUS COMPANY, 01 SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wiscons n, A CORPORATION or WISCONSDT.

TOWER-EXCAVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Application filed April 6, 1916. Serial No. 89,279.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. OcLEsBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tower-Excavators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in tower excavating machines wherein a track cable is suspended between two towers and excavator moved along the track cable as it performs the excavating, dumping and return movements. One object of' my invention is to provide a type of tower excavator wherein the parts may be light, simple and cheap in construction and operation. Another object is to provide a device wherein the dirt may be easily and conveniently distributed and compacted. Other objects of my invention will appear in the specification. The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machinery with the work in section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the bucket in the digging position; an

Fig. 3 is a detail showing the bucket in the hauling position.

Like parts are indicated by like letters throughout the several figures.

A is the dump. In the present instance it is the levee which is being built by deposition of the material which is taken by the excavator from the channel or cut A The head tower A stands on the bank beyond the dump A. The tail tower A stands on the opposed bank on the other side of the excavation A B is a trackcable anchored at B on the tail tower passing over a sheave B at the from the winding drum C over a sheave C at the top of the tower A through the air to a return sheave C at the top of the tower A and thence to the trolley B being attached to the trolley and thus a rotation of the drum C will tend to draw the trolley away from the head tower toward the tail tower.

D is an excavating bucket. It is suspended from a trolley B by a single line D attached to the lower portion of the bucket at the rear. D are guides on. the rear end of the bucket to guide the line D. D is a downwardly projecting ivot shoe or runner on the bottom of the buc et, located in front of the center of gravity of the bucket. D is the usual cutting edge and D a bail to which is attached the dra line D. This drag line passes over the s cave D on the tower A and is controlled by the winding drum D in the usual manner. The winding drums are driven and controlled in any suitable way and for the sake of clearness and because the particular arrangement is not a part of my invention, I have omitted the controlling means for driving the drums, this being in accordance with the usual practice.

It will be evident that While I have shown in my drawings an operative device, still many changes might be made both in size, shape and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I wish, therefore, that my drawings be regarded as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows The tWo towers are arranged one on either side of the excavation and dump. The trolley is free to slide along the track cable. Starting with the parts in the position shown in dotted lines, the operator will tighten up on the track cable raising the trolley and bucket away from the ground.

- The bucket will then be suspended in the position shown in full lines. The operator then starts the haul back cable meanwhile paying out the drag line and the trolley is thus dragged back along the track until the excavator bucket is at the excavatin point. The track cable is then paid out unti the bucket rests on the ground the track cable being hauled tight enough to rock the bucket about the curved shoe or runner so that the teeth or cutting lip is in engagement with the ground ready for cutting. The drag line is drawn in and the bucket is filled in the usual manner. If the 'surface is irregular or inclined it may be necessary to manipulate the track cable during the excavating movement and .this will be done so that-the bucket will at all times The weight of the loaded bucket is never suspended by the track. The track cable has two functions. One of them to'tilt up the back .end of the bucket so that excavating can take place, the other to permit convenient return of the light bucket to the excavating point. The bucket acts as an excavator, a carrier and as tamper and,

smoother, since as it is dragged along the SllI'ffiQQwWlt-h its loads it tamps and smooths off the previously excavated material.

The height of the tail tower does not need to be as great as the head tower but it must be great enough so that the track cable at the far side of the burrow pit or excavation be sufiicient to enable the operator to tilt the bucketinto the digging position by raising it. i

The drag line and return line serve merely to move the bucket back and forth from the burrow pit to the dump. The manipulation of the track cable controls the bucket to make itv perform all of the functions.

If the line is loose, the bucket slides along the ground without digging. If tightened a little the bucket digs, or moves. cable .is hauled clear-up the bucket is emptied but at no time as above indicated is the fully loaded bucket suspended on the track cable because the minute the dump commences the bucket begins unloading and before the bucket-is lifted off the ground a large portion will be discharged and as this operation occurs near to the head tower and the angles through which these loads are applied are favorable. The towers may be light and easily handled and constructed.

' The shoe, of course, serves as a combined I shoe and fulcrum and since it is in front of the center of gravity of'the bucket causes the bucket to tilt back insuring the freeing ofthe cutting lip from the ground.

It will be noted that the line for lifting the rear end of the bucket is attached to the bottom of the bucket at a point inside of the back and the cable is carried around the back side of the bucket. The effect of this is that in all positions of the bucket there is a large moment arm between the cen- If the ter of gravity of the bucket and the pulling direction of this suspension chain. The

'promptness of the dump is directly proporthe hill as soon as the track cable is tightened for the dump. Therefore,'it is necessary that the bucket be suspended as far back of the center of gravity as possible to get it to dump before it has run any considerable distance down the sloping track cable. M

It will be understood that the provision of the tail tower provides means for lifting the bucket clear of the ground at the ex-- treme edgeof the burrow pit thus permitting the bucket to be lowered into the digging position at the extreme back edge of the pit. The use of this tail tower also makes it possible to dump at any point in the embankment and by changing the tension in the track cable this dumping position may be controlled by cooperation with this tower in any suitable manner. It will be understood also that the tail tower gives the flexible anchorage as a contrast with the rigid anchorage thus saving any wear and tear on the machinery and making it much more smooth in its operation.

The track cable in my invention, therefore,

has several functions. It serves in addition to transporting a bucket, as a hoisting cable,

a lowering cable, dumping cable and contions of the separate cables usually used for these different purposes, thus by manipulation of the single cable the operator carries on the usual excavating processes in the usual manner etting the same general result as would be 0 tained if separate lines were used.

I claim I 1. A drag line excavator comprising a drag bucket, a drag line attached to the forward end thereof, means for drawing in the drag line to move the bucket along the ground, a slack track line suspended above the bucket, means for varying the tension in the track line to raise and lower it, a

trolley movable along the track line, means when the bucket is in the cutting and dragging position, the upper end of the line bemg anchored on thetrolley.

2. A drag line excavator comprlsing a trols the digging and performs all the funcdrag bucket, a drag line attached to the fort rd end thereof, means for drawing in the drag line to move the bucket along the ground, a slack track line suspended above the bucket, means for varying the tension in the track line to raise and lower it, a trolley movable along the track line, curved guides extending upwardly along the rear wall of the bucket, and a lifting line anchored on the bucket at the lower ends of said guides 10 adapted to lie within the guides when the bucketis in the cutting" and dragging posiin the presence of two witnesses,'this 1st day 15 of April, 1916.

CHARLES G. QGLESBY. Witnesses:

Roy H. MGKAY, F. R. GAGE.

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