US1296347A - Earth-handling machine. - Google Patents

Description

C. E.- L W. G. WERTS.

EARTH HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION msn 1AN.31.1918.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

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lo [O Vivo 55" @Mmx C. E. L W. G. WERTS. ERTH- HANDLING MACHINE. APPLlcAxLoN FILED JAN.31, 191s.

l ,296,347. Patented Mar. 4,1919.

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C. E. & WI G.. WERTS. EARTH H-ANlmNG MACHINE. APPLICATION FILEID JAN. 3L, 1918.

l1 ,2:96, 347. Patentedv Mar. 4, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5y @www C. E. d W. G. WEBTS.v EARTH HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IAN.3I.. I9-I8.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

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mn N un E UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GLFTQH E. WEBTS AND WALTER Gr. WERTS, OF RUSSELL, IOWA.

EARTH-HANDLING MACHINE.

Speciiioaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed January 31, 191B. Serial No. 214,774.

, Handling Machine, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to machines for handling earth for grading roads, filling holes, ditches and the like and cutting oi hills or banks.

The ob'ect of our invention is to provide an earth andling machine having a sheave wheel and designed to be operated by means of a cable suitably anchored and wound on said wheel, which machine is provided with a prime mover such, for instance, as a gaso- I lene engine for operat' said sheave wheel. Still a .further object 1s to provide such a one end near machine having an endless conveyer -preferably mounted comparatively low on the frame of the machine and operatively connected with said prime moved in either direction, whereby said endless conveyer may be discharged at either end. A

Still a'further object isto provide such a means having a frame and supporting wheels, and having such an endless conveyer, and having a suitable frame arranged with thesupporting wheels at one end of the machine s o as to permit the discharge of a load at such end of the machine for filling a ditch or the like.

Still a further object is to provide such a machine having. such an endless conveyer, and having lspaced from one end thereof an .adjustable scraper blade.

Still a further object machine having such a conveyer, and having adjacent to one end thereof a cutter blade so constructed kand arranged as to cut earth when the machine is advanced and to elcvate said earth toward the conveyer, which machine has alsormeans for simultaneously raising and. lowering said cutter blade and the end of the conveyer adjacent thereto, and has also means'for raising the cutter blade independently of the conveyer.

` A further object is to provide such mechanism as has just been described in connec- 55 the cutter blade,

tion with a shield located in spaced position above the end of the conveyer adjacent to which shield is so mounted as to be operated l ultaneously with the to support a invention consists 1n mover for being.

isl to provide such a,

cutter blade and to be raised away from the conveyer when said cutter blade is moved away from the conveyer.

An additional obj ect of our invention is to provide in a machine of the ln'nd mentioned a conveyer of special construction adapted heavy load of dirt, in connection with suitable mechanism for operating said conveyer.

Still a. further object is to provide sucha machine-capable, by slight adjustment, of being propelled over power applied to its supporting wheels.

With these and other objects in view our the construction, ar-

rangement, and v'combination of the various parts of ourdevice, whereby the ob'ects contemplated are attained, as hereina er more fully set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, n which:

the ground by lts own' Figure 1 shows -a side elevation of an earth embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 shows a top same.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged, detail view of the mechanism at the front end of the machine.

Figc:A shows an enlarged, detail view of part of the controlling and operating mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the front portion of the machine taken from the opposite side from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view of part of the mechanism for operating'the grader blade.

Fig. 7 is a rangement of the gears conveyer. I

Fig. 8 is a detail, sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2. A

Fig. 9 shows a detail view partly insection illustrating the construction and arrangement of the cable and the springs connected therewith. l

4The `frame of our improved machine comprises a pair of parallel, spaced, horizontal, longitudinally extending fra-me members, which we have indicated in the accompanying drawings by character l0. Extending forwardly `from the frame me bers l0 are frane members 11 which converge and are connected to' gether at their forward ends. Extending rearwardly from the frame members 10 are for operating the the reference mounted a friction -disk 38, having al similar frame membersY 12 which conver and are lconnected at ltheir rearward'en The frame- members 10,11 and 12 are preferably made of 'channel iron. Y

There is supported on the frame an end-` less carrier having the spaced side wall frame' members 15. side wall frame members 15 are' brackets 164 which are p1votally supported at 17 on the respective frame members 10 for per! mitting the tilting of the endless carrier.

Connecting the wall members 15' is a series of shafts 18H, having at their ends spindles 19. Mounted lon the shafts 18,

"whichrform rollers, is an endless-conveyer belt 20, shown in `Fi .'8. On the'engi'ne `sha 21, shown in Fig. 2, is a flywheel 22 having'formed thereon a clutch member 23.

Suitably mounted on' the frame and exl tending longitudinally thereof, forwardly of the engine in .alinement shaft 21, is a shaft A24. On the rear end of the shaft 24 is slidablybut non-rotatably mounted a clutch member 25, illustrated in vF 2 and 4. On the shaft 24 isv a collar 26 and between the collar 26, and the clutch member v25 is a coil spring 27 which yieldthe clutch member 23.

' f Centrally pivorted on the frame 0f the hereinbefore described machine is a bell crank lever 28, one end of, which is pivoted to Ithe clutch 25', and the other end of which is pivoted to a, link 29. The link 29 is pivoted to a lever 30, whereby the clutch 25 may 'be moved out of engagement with the clutch VmemberI 23.

' It will be seen that the Voperation of the lever l30for throwing. the clutch members, out of engagement serves to'compress the spring 27.

` transverse 'shaft 37,

Slidably but non-rotatabl mdunted on the. shaft 24 is a.

friction vw eel 31. Conf nected with the hub of thewheel 31 is a; collar 32, to which is pivoteda -link 33.

The link'33 is'vlpfvoted to a lever One end of thelever {f4-is pivoted t0 the frame of the machine.

Pivoted to the lever 3 4 between ends. lf 1s a link 35 Wh1 'ch isin turn lpivoted to a lever 36.

"Suitably mounted 'on the machine is a the `shaft37 is slidably but non-rotatably grooved hub 39.

.Pivoted to the frame of the machine is a lever 40 Vhaving' a in ,41, which travels in the groove ofthe Euh 39,l

Connected with the sprockets 48 and 50. The chain 49 is -vided with a casing 51.

illustrated in Fig.V 7. It

with the engine lngly presses the .clutch mem'ber 25 toward 38`I in different shown in Fig. 4. On

j www.

Pivoted to the lever 40 is a link 42 which in turn pivoted to' a lever 43. 0n the outer end of the shaft 37 is a sprocket gear 44 on which is a. sprocket c ain 45. v J

Suitably mounted on the frame of the machine4 rearwardly of the shaft 37 is a shaft 46, shown in Fig. 5, on which is a rocket 47 in `line wlth the sprocket 44. ve chain 45 travels on the sprocket47. On thel shaft 46 is a-sprocket 48, as shown in Fig. 2. The sprocket 48V is in line with a sprocket 50 on the outer end of one of the spindles 19. 'A chain 49 travels on the On the spindles 19 are a series of intermeshing gears 52, willbe noted that the alternate ars 52 are fixed to the spindles 19,` w ile the intermediate'. gears 52 are rotatably mounted thereon, so that every other spindle 19 and roller 18 is power driven. By thisvconstruction it is possible to easily move a heavy load of dirt on the endless carrier 20, and therey is no danger of the endless belt or carrier 20 of sliding on the rollers 18. l

It should be noted that the pivot point 17 of the endless carrier frame is at the center of the shaft 46, so that the chain 45 will be in -properposition in all ofthe tilted positions of the endless carrier.

It will be seen from lthe foregoing de scription that by the manipulation of the clutch member 25 the shaft 24 may be thrown into or out-of gear. By means of the lever 43 the endless carrier may be thrown into and out o f gear by throwing the disk 38 into or out of operative contact with the wheel 31.V By means of the lever 36, the wheel 31 may be adjusted for operating the disk directions for thereby operating the upper stretch of the endless belt 20 in either direction.

Extendingupwardly from the opposite vside wall members 15, at the forward end of of circles having their centers at the center of the shaft 46.-

` On the' frame of the machine is mounted a transverse shaft 55 on which are gears 56 in mesh with the respective racks 54.

Mounted in .suitable uprights 57 on lthe rame, asvshown inv Figs. 5 and 8, is a shaft 58 on which is fixed a larve hand-Wheel 59.

'On the lshaft 58 is a small "sprocket wheel 60 whichis alined with a larger sprocket wheel 61 on the shaft 55. A chain 62 travels on the sprockets 60 and 61. By Vrotating thehand'wheel 59 the shaft 55 may be rotated for raising and lowering the forward end of the endless carrier through' the gears 56, the racks 54 and the frame members 53.

The wheel 59 has a hub 100 on which is mounted a brake band 101 which may be suitably operated from a foot pedal 102 for preventing the weight of the load at the lforward endv of the endless carrier from tilting the forward end of the carrier downwardly when such downward tilting is not desired.

The tilting of the endless carrier frame and the endless conveyer belt carried thereby has severall functions which will be 4hereinafter more fully referred to.

At the-forward end of the endless conveyer is a double cuttingscoop or blade device, which for convenience we shall call the earth cutting device; which isshown in Figs. 1, 5 and 8, and comprises a pair of spaced side wall members 63.

Connecting the side wall members 63 at I the lower 'edges thereof is a bottom member 64 above which is what may be called an elevating member 65 which is curved from its forward end upwardly and rearwardly when the earth cutting device is in its lowermost position. The earth cutting device has a,I cutting edge 66 and supports teeth or breakers 66a the points of which extend forwardly beyond the edge 66. I l

Pivot-ally supported on the walls 15 of the ""conveyer frame at the forward endsl thereof and adjacent to the upper ends of the respective members 63 are levers 67 the forward ends of which are secured to t-he members 63. The rear ends o f the levers 67 are 7l for thereby imparting vrotation to the pivoted to the lower ends ofthe links 68. Mounted in the upper ends of the frame members 53 is a transverse shaft 69 on the ends of which are fixed arms 70. The upper ends of the links68 are pivoted 'to the arms 70. On the shaft 69 is a worm'gear 71. shown in Fig. 8.

Suitably .mounted in a bracket 72 4is a shaft or rod 73 on one end of which is a crank handle 74. a

Suitably mounted near the worm gear 71 is a shaft 75 on which is a worm 76 in mesh with a worm gear 71.' Theshaft 75 is connected by meansof a universal joint 77. with a shaft 73. The shaft 73 is allowed some play inl its bearing in thebracket 7 2.

It will be seen that by manipulating` the crank 74 the shafts 73 and 75 will .be rotated for rotating the worm 76 and the worm gear shaft 69. The rotation ofthe shaft 69 moves the arms for raising or lowering the links 68 and .the rearends ofthe levers 67 for thereby raising or lowering the earth cut- It will be seen tha-t the earth cutting de vice and the shield 80 may be raised or` 'l e ered independently of the endless carrier franie,'a1id that 'the mechanism for raising or lowering the digging devi-ce is largely mounted on the frame members so that the earth cutting device is also raised porting wheel 91.

On the side wall members 15 of the endless I carrier fran'ie, near the forward ends thereof, are upwardly extending brackets 7 8 to which are pivoted forwardly extending arms 79. The arms 79 support between them a flat plate or shield 80, the purpose of which will be hereinafter referred to.

0n the shafts 69 are fixed arms 81 to which are pivoted downwardly extendiim` links 82. The links 82- are pivoted at their lower ends to the forward ends of the arms 7 9, and the parts just described are so arranged that when the shaft 69 is rotated for raising the earth cutting device the plate 80 is simultaneously raised, and when the earth cutting device is lowered 'the plate 8O is lowered.

At the forward part of the machine are suitably mounted upright shafts 83 which have at their lower ends spindles 84 on which are mounted large wheels 85.

Supported on the rear ends of the framemembers 12 iS a platform 86. Below the rear ends ofthe frame members 12 are turntable members 87 and 88. Extending downwardly from the lower turn-table member 88 are supporting bearing members 89 which carry a shaft 90 on which is mounted a sup- Fort-urningthe lower turn-table member 88 there is provided an upright shaft 92Ahaving at its upper end a hand-wheel 93 and at its lower end a beveled gear 94. The beveled gear 94 meshes with a.

beveled gear 95 on a shaft 96. The shaft 96 carries a worm 97 which meshes with teeth 98 on the lower turn-table member 88. It will be seen thatl b v 'the operation of the hand-wheel 93 the wheel 91 maybe turned as desired for steering the rear end of the machine.

AlVe preferably. arrange our machine so -that ythe wheels at both ends are stecrable and for steering thefront wheels 85 we have provided the following means.

On the shafts 83 preferabljv near the upper ends thereof areparallel forwardl)v extending arms 103 which vare piioted and connected by a connecting rod 104.

On one of the arms 103 is formedl a toothed sector 105 which is arranged in mesh with a worm 106 on ashaft 107 mounted in suitable bearings on-the frame of the machine and having at its end a crank handle 108.

B v manipulating the handle 108 the shafts 83 may rocked or rotated for steering the wheels 85 mounted on the spindles. 84 at the lower ends of said shafts.

For the propulsion of our improved earth handling machine during the ordinary operation thereof, we provide a cable 109 which is designed to be firmly fixed at its ends. Each end of the cable 109 is designed to be yieldingly held by some suitable device such, for instance, as a sleeve 110 having at one end a cap 111 on which is a hook 112. On the other end of the sleeve 110 is a removable cap 113. Slidably mounted in the cap 113 and having` the greater portion of its length received within the sleeve 110, is a rod 115. On one end of the rod 115 is a hook 114 secured to the cable 109. Onk the other end of the rod 115 Within the abl mounted a nut 116.

etween the nut 116 and the cap 113 is a coil spring 117. i

Suitably mounted at the forward part of transverse shaft 118 on which is a sheave wheel 119. On the outer endV of the shaft 118 is a drum 120 which is used for carrying spare cable or for carrying the cable 109 when it is not in use. On the shaft 118 on opposite sides of the wheel 119 are gears 121.

Suitably mounted on the frame of the machine rearwardly of the shaft 118 is a transverse shaft 122. On the shaft 122 is a sleeve 123. On the outer end of the sleeve 123 are mounted wide gears 124 which mesh with the respective gears 121, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 3. The sleeve 123 also ha's spaced beveled gears 125 mounted between the gears 124, as shown in Fig. .3. The shaft 24, hereinbefore referred to, is connected by means of a. selective Speed trans mission gear 126 of any ordinary construction, which does not in itself form a part of our invention, with a shaft 127 on which is a beveled gear 128.

For sliding the sleeve 1.23 and thereby selectively moving the respective beveled gears 125 into mesh with the beveled gear 128, the followin means has been provided'.

Pivote between its ends on a bracket 129 is a bell crank lever 130, one end of which is operatively connected with the sleeve 123 at 131, for sliding said sleeve longitudinally on the shaft 122 while permitting free rotation of said sleeve.

Pivoted to the other end of the bell crank lever is a rearwardly extending link 132, shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The link 132 is pivoted at its rear end to a controlling lever 133 mounted on the frame of the machine.

lt. will be seen that by manipulation of the lever 133 the sleeve 123 can be moved for bringing either of the gears 125 into mesh with the gear 128 'for thereby imparting rotation to the shaft 122 in either direction.

The gears 124 are the machine is a fixed on the sleeve 123 Vated by means sleeve 110 is a-djustand slide with it, but they have Wider faces than the gears 121 and hence are always in mesh with the gears 121, so that the gears 121, and shaft 118, and sheave Wheel 119 ma be rotated in either direction.

.he cable 109 is threaded through suitable guides on the machine and is wound on the drum 119 when the machineis to be operof the cable.

On the hubs of the wheels 85 are sprocket gears 134, which are respectively in alinement with' sprocket gears 135 on the ends of the shaft 122. On each pair of gears 134 and 135 is a sprocket chain 136. On the shaft 122 is an ordinary band brake 137 connected by means of a link 138 with a controlling lever 139.

Connected with the transmission gearing 126 is a centrally pivoted lever 140 which is pivoted t0 a link or rod 141 extending rearwardly in the machine and connected with a controlling lever 142.

Mounted atI the rear part of the machine is a scraper blade 143, shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The scraper blade is supported upon a frame having a semi-circular member 144 provided with teeth on its upper surface. Suitably mounted above the plate or platform 86 is a hand-wheel 145 connected with a rod or shaft 146. The rod or shaft 146 is connected by a universal joint 147 with a shaft 148 on which is a beveled gear 149 in mesh with the teeth on the upper surface of the frame member 144.

Suitably mounted on frame members are large hand-wheels 150 on shafts151. On the shafts 151 are worms 152 which mesh with worm gears 153 rotatably mounted on shafts 154. On each shaft 154 is a friction disk clutch member 154. Each worm gear 153 has a smooth face adapted to engage the face of the disk 154, and the said Worm gears 153 are yieldingly heldin engagement with the disk 154'* by means of coil springs 154b to permit some slippage. By means of nuts 154c the tension of said springs may be varied. This friction device for attaching the worm 153 to the shaft 154 is a safety device to prevent breaking the lifting arms or shafts 154 when the scraper blade 145 strikes lar e bowlders or other obstructions.

Each o the shafts 154 has a crank 155 operatively connected with a link 156. The links 156 are connected with the opposite sides of the frame which supports thc scraper.

Suitably supported near the engine 14 is a fuel tank 157.

In the practical operation of our improved earth handling machine when it is desired to use the machine for grading purposes, the cable is stretched and anchored at its ends after having been threaded through the machine and wound over the sheave wheel 119.

The machine' can 4then be drawn fiorwardly by starting the engine and throwing the clutch members 25 and 23 into'gear by means fof the lever 30. :The lever 133 is then operated for throwing the gear 128.

advances the earth is not only cut `by the earth cutting tool, but the plate or blade 64 is' of such shape and so curved as to elevate the, earth and dischargeit on the forward` portion of the endless carrier.

The plate 80 assists in determining when the dirt is loaded to the proper height on the endless carrier. When the dirt is pulled up to the plate 80 the' endless carrier is thrown into gear by means of the lever -36 yand the lever 43 for moving the upper stretch of the endless carrier rearwardly a short distance.

When the endless carrier has been loaded the machine can be moved to another'place, and the dirt, if desired, may be discharged at the rear end of the endless carrier and as the machine advances the scraper blade 143 will smooth and level the dirtdischarged from the endless carrier, or shove the earth discharged from the `conveyer olf over the.

ed of a fill or gradewhen it is desired to wizn the same or to lill a ditch at the side of a roadway. It will/lie noted that the endless carrier thus forms a carrier and alsoa load holding means. l

On account of the manner in which the gears'52- are connected with each other and with the source of power, every other roller under-the endless belt 20 is operated, so that there is no danger of any slippage of the endless belt 20 on the rollers.

'If it is desired to discharge the dirt at the f orward end ofthe -endless conveyer this can be done by reversing the direction of movement of the endless conveyer by shifting the friction wheel 31 on the shaft 24 for j causing the upper stretch of the endless conveyer to travel forwardly in the machine.

We consider this, in connection with the other features of the'machine hereinbefore described, .to be'one of the important .features of our invention. For instance, 1f it.

' is desired to lill a ditch or de ression, the

shown in Figs. 5 and 8with the rigid bottom 160, (shown in Fig. 8) that it may rest on the ground at the edge of the ditch without interfering with the movement of. the endless carrier. The dirt can thenebe discharged from the endless` conveyer immediately into the ditch. In this connectionA attention is called to the advantage of the` construction of the machine whereby the.

device vis mounted on a frame eartll cuttin which is ralsed and loweredv with the forward part' of the endless conveyer, and is also adjustable with relation to such frame and with relation to the forward en'd vof the endless conveyer, so that when dirt is being.

discharged at the forward end of the endless conveyer, the earth cutting device. may be raised to be out of the way of the discharg#` ing load. It may be noted here also that on account of the construction hereinbefore mentioned, the guide plate 80 is raised out of the way when the earth cutting device` is moved away from the forward end'of the endless conveyer.

After the `load has been discharged, the' sheaye wheel can be thrown into gear for pulhng the machine away from the ditch. This can be done because the pull is on the movement of the llarge front wheels. It will be seen that no such operation could be performedwith an ordinarytractor. .'We consider this combinatie of .the digger located substantially bel w the shaft on which the supporting wheels are mounted, with a sheave wheel and cable, .an important one. Where it is desired to make a cut l cable and the machine is not operated by the along the ground for a considerablel dise tance toa'uniform depth, it is necessary to locate the cutti member 'substantiallybee low one of the a es. vIf the cuttin member is located rearwardly or forwar ly fromi the axle,- then the operationof the cutting. member serves to increase'any unevenness in the ground, and does not result in cutting to an even depth. For instance, if the cutter is located ahead of the' axle and the wheels on the axle drop 4into a low lace, it will be seen that the cutter would t en cut greater than the required Ldepth', while if the Wheels went overan elevation the/cutter would not cut to the required depth; so it is desirable to locate the cutter substantially below the axle. r 4

Where the cutter is located below the axle, it will be seen that with an ordinaryl tractor it would be impossible to move the machine to the edge of the ditch or hole for discharging at that end of the' conveyer where the cutter is located, vbut withthe sheave wheel andi cable construction| the machine can be moved for discharging into a ditch in the manner hereinbefore del scribed.

It will be seen that the-scraper blade 143 chine for cutting o It may be noted that both the front and rear wheels are steerable so that the machine can be operated for making any turn desired.

Itmay be noted also that on account of the last` mentioned feature of construction, the rear end of the machine may be caused to travel in-'a ath at one side of the center of the ath o travel Aofthe front art of the mac ine so as to make any desire width v of cut into a bank or ridge, or shove the earth discharged from the conveyer over the edge of a lill for the purpose of wideningor filling a ditch at'the road side-.i

he scra er blade 143 can be adjusted byA raising an lowerin either end or by raising and lowering t e entire scra er blade and by swinging the scraper bla e so that its cnttinl edge is arranged at different angles wit relation to the path of travel of the machine `for surfacing a road or the like in different ways.

It will be noted, that vwhen it is desired to move the machine'from one job to another, the cable may be .taken oi the sheave wheel and wound on the drum 118 and by putting chains 136 on the sprockets 134: and 135 the machine may be carried over the ground under its own power, as an ordinary tractor. These chains are removed and not used when the cable is used. It will be understood that when the chains 136 are in use, the front'wheels are not steered'and the machine is steered by the operation of the rear su orting wheel.

e machlne 1s prlmarily, however, in-

tended to be operated with the cable when` used for heavy work.

It will be seen that it can be used for cutting down ridges or banks, for grading, for loading and carryin dirt, and can be used for cutting off a rid dirt and leveling it. It can'be used for simultaneousl lcutting down a bank and picking up an loading the dirt that was loosened' by a' former cut.-

The machine ordinarily requires onlyl three men for its operation.

Sonie changes maybe made in'f the construction and arran ment of the 'various arts of themachme without. departing m the essential spirit and purpose of our invention, and it is our intention to cover by our claims any modified formsof structure or use of mechanical equivalents which ge and depositing the sco e claim as our invention.

1. In a device ofthe class described, a frame mounted on wheels,an endless conveyer frame tiltably supported onsaid frame, an endless conveyer on said second frame, a load supply device adjacent to one end of said conveyer, means for mounting 'said load supply device on said conveyer frame .for permitting adjustment of the load supply device with relation to the endless conveyer, .a plate mounted above one end of said conveyer adjacent to saidload supply means and operatively connected with said load supply means.

2. In an earth handling machine, a frame mounted on wheels, an endless conveyer adapted 'to move a load and to be thrown out of gear for retaining said load, means for operatingthe endless conveyer, including mechanism for throwing the conveyer into or out of gear, a load sup lyin -device arranged adjacent to one end olf) 'sai conveyer, and an adjustable scraper arranged adjacent to the other end of said conveyer adapted to act on material discharged from said other end of said conveyer.

` 3. In an earth handling machine, a frame mounted on wheels, a conveyer frame tiltably mounted on said first frame, an earth cutting and elevating device mounted to be moved with said conveyer frame, and adapted to be adjusted with relation thereto,

means for raising and lowering the ends of said conveyer ame, together with said lmay be reasonably included within their endless earth cuttin and elevating means for vary- .fing the dept of cut of the latter, a conveyer on said conveyer frame, means for operatin said conveyer and throwing it into or out o gear, whereby the conveyer may be used to move a load or to retain the load while the machine is being moved from one location to another, and ascraper adjacent to the end of said conveyer opposite said earth cutting means ada ted'toact on material discharged from the asfgmentioned end of s aid con-y y'eyer. j '4. In an earth handling machine, the combination of airame mounted on front and rear steerable wheels, with a load carrier on said frame, an earth cutting and elevating device adjacent to saidlload carrier and near the front 'end-of the machine, an earth cutting..device near the rear end -of the machine arranged to project laterall beyond the machine in certain sitions ,o chine and said first eart cutting device.

5. In an earth handling machine, the combination of a frame mounted on wheels, an endless carrier on said frame adapted to retain a load and to be operated at will for discharging said load at either end, an earth the mal anew cutting and elevating means adjacent to the forward end of said endless carrier, a

scraper mounted on said frame rearwardly of said carrier ada ted to smooth and level dirt or the like dlscharged from the rear end of said carrier.

6. In a machine of the class described, a

- load supplying device arranged adjacent to one end of said conveyer, and an adjustable cuttin blade arranged adjacent to the other end o said conveyer adapted to cut earth at the side of the machine for cutting away banks or hill-sides. Y

8. In an earth handling machine, a frame mounted on wheels, a conveyer'thereon, a

Aload supplying means adjacent to one end of said conveyer, a scraper blade adjacent to the other end of' said conveyer, means for adjustably supporting and for raising and lowering the ends of said scraper blade, said means including slippage devices.

9. In a device of the class described, a framemounted on wheels, a load carrying device thereon adapted to discharge its load at one end, a scraper mounted near one end of -said load carrying means, means for raising and lowering and for supporting the ends of said scraper blade, said means including friction devices for permitting the slippage when the blade strikes an obstruction for permitting the blade to raise and clear such obstruction.

10. In a device of the class described, the 40 combination of a frame having supporting wheels near one end, and a supporting wheel near the other end, an endless conveyer adapted to discharge near said one end, a digging device arranged substantially in line between said first described wheels for digging dirt or the like for loadin said conveyer, with a sheave wheel, a ca le on said sheave wheel, and means for causing the entire machine to travel along said cable.

11. In a machine of the class described, a frame, supporting Wheels near the opposite ends of the frame, an endless conveyer, a digger for digging dirt and loading said conveyer, arranged substantially between the 55 wheels at one end of the frame, a cable, and means on said machine for engaging the cable and causing the machine to travel along the cable. l

Des Moines, Iowa, January 21, 1918.

CLIFTON E. WERTS. WALTERl G. wERTs.

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