US1533423A - Stream-bed-digging device - Google Patents

Description

April 14, 1925. y 1,533,423

` A. JOHNSN Qwuenko@ AJOv/qson l Patented pr. 14, 1925.

u miren STATES AARON JoHNsoN, or OORNING, MISSOURI.

STREM-BED-DIGGNG DEVICE.

Application led Jnly, 1924. Serial No. 724,988.

To all ,1U/wm it may Concern.'

yBe it known that I, AARON JoHN'soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Corning, in the countyof Holt, State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Stream-Bed-Digging Device', and I do hereby declare the following to he' a full, clear,- and exact description of theI invention, such as `will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to vm aire and use the saine.

lThe invention relates to digging and ditching devices for stream beds and hasw for its object to ,provide a device of this character, which is particularly adaptedfor use in small streams where sand bars forni rapidly, and one with which the channel of with the first mentioned shaft, and to provide a plurality ofdigging elements carried bythe cranks f the/crank shaft and having their rear ends provided? with a yol're slidably mounted and guidedon the driven shaft. Also to provide positive driving'means for the oppositey ends of the drivenshaft, and the crank` shaft whereby. duringv the digging operation the crank shaft and driven shaftw-ill be positively driven and relieved from twistingstrain incident to the intermittent di gging and raisingof the digging' elements. A further Objectis to provide adjacent opposite sides of the boat windlass drums which rotate together andfhave cable connections withy the free en d. of the pivoted frame and form means whereby said frame may be elevated or lowered to various positions with the weight thereof supported by the cables at opposite corners thereot` for preventing a twisting action on the frame an'dfbinding or misalinement of the shaft.

lith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in thecombination' and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in thc precise embodiment ofy the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing Figure l is ja side elevation of the dredging and ditching machine.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 3 isa front elevation of the machine showinga Vvertical transverse sectional view through a stream bed.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the; digging elements. i

Referring to thev drawing, the numeral l designates the hull of the boat which may be of any desired type, and mayv be propelled in any suitable manner, however itis preferably of the barge or scow type shown which draws the minimum amount ofnater. Extending upwardly from the hull l adjacent the forward end thereof' are bearing' members 2, in which bearing members is rotatably mounted a transversely disposed driven shaft 3, on which shaft is pivotally mounted the side barsV 4' of a downwardlyv and forwardly extending digger curryinig frame 5. Bars 4 are braced ,in relation t each other and held in spaced parallel relation by transversely disposed bars 6, therefore it will bel seen that the frame 5 is a rigid one. By pivotally mounting; the frame 5 on the transversely disposed shaft 3, it will be seen that the frame as a whole may be raised or lowered at its free end' by the cables 7, which are connected to the outer ends of the bars-il and extend upwardly over pulleys S carried by pivoted masts 9. and which cables extend downwardly around drums l() mountedon the deck of the hull l', in a manner wherel'iy when thc drums ll), which are securedon the rotafahlil shaft ll are rotated, equal strains will he imparted on the cables 7, consequently the frame 5 will1 not have a twisting action diagonally which will cause the same to hind on the driven shaft The shaft il has its opposite ends provided Ywith cranks 1Q, therefore it will be seen that the operator may adjust the free end ofthe frame atvarious distances from the bottom 13 of the stream 14.

R'otatably mounted in the forward ends of the side bars 4 of the' frame is a transversely disposed crank shaft l5 which crank shaft is provided with a. plurality of cranks 1'6 extending' in opposite directions and in Lili the same plane, and pivotally connected to said cranks 16 by means of bearing members 17 are digger bars 18, the free ends of which are intermittently forced downwardly Aand raised during a digging operation in the bottom of a stream as clearly shown in Figure 1. By providing a plurality of cranks 16, extending in opposite directions, it will be seen that during the rotation of the crank shaft a digging action will take place at all times, and the ground piercing elements 19 carried by the digging members 18 will dig yinto the ground and loosen the same in a manner whereby it may be removed in any suitable manner or allowed to drift off incident to the current in the stream, which is particularly true where sand bars form in the stream and change the course of the current thereof.

Secured to the upper sides of the rear ends of the digger bars 18 are inverted U-shaped members 20, which members arch the transversely disposed shaft 3, and guide the rear end of the bars 18 on the shafts during the rotation and reciprocation thereof, and maintain the rear ends of thel bars at substantially the same elevation during the digging operation, and it will be seen by the sliding connection of the bars 18 with the shaft 3 that during the rotation of the cranks 16, not only downward digging action is imparted on the members 19, but during the rearward movement thereof a slight prying action takes place, thereby dislodging and breakinginaterial on the bottom of the stream. Crank shaft 15 is positively driven at both ends thereof by means of sprocket chains 21 at opposite sides of the frame which sprocket chains extend over sprockets 22 carried by the ends of the crank shaft 15 and over sprockets 23 carried bythe ends of the rotatable shaft 3, therefore it will be seen that a twisting strain ,will not take place on the 4frame as the strain is equally distrilnilted at opposite sides thereof tlnfough the sprocket chain drive connection, consequently binding of any of the parts which Aare pivotally or slidably mounted on the shaft 3 will be obviated. Mounted on the hull 1 is a conventional form of engine 24, which engine may be a gas engine if desired and rotates a transversely disposed drive shaft 25. The ends of the drive shaft 25 are provided with sprockets 26, which sprockets have extending thereover sprocket chains 27 which also extend over sprockets 28 carried by the ends of the shaft 3, therefore it will be seen that the shaft 3 is positively driven at both ends thereof. Pivoted masts 9 are pivotally connected at 29 to the hull of the boat and are provided with removable braces 30, which braces normally maintain the masts 9 in vertical positions, but at the same time when removed allow the masts to be folded onto the hull so that the digging device may be moved under bridges and the like.

From the above it will be seen that a digging and dredging machine is provided which is particularly adapted for use in small streams and one wherein an intermittent digging and prying action will take place. It will also be seen that power is transmitted over the pivoted frame to the digging elements in a manner whereby the strain is equally distributed over the frame, and also in a manner whereby the power connections will not interfere with the pivotal movement of the frame in adjusting the same to various elevations in relation to the bottom of a stream.

The invention having been set. forth what is claimed as new and useful is 1. A river bottom excavating machine comprising a hull, a straight transversely disposed shaft rotatably mounted in bearings adjacent one end of the hull, means for rotating said shaft, said means driving the shaft from opposite ends thereof, a frame pivotally mounted on said transversely disposed shaft and extending downwardly, a crank shaft carried by the free end of the frame, driving connections betweenv the crank shaft and the first mentioned shaft adjacent the opposite sides of the fra-me, a

plurality of bars carried by said crank shaft, digging elements carried by the lower ends of said bars, the rear ends of said bars being provided with yokes arching the straight transversely disposed shaft and having a slidable connection on said shaft and means for raising and lowering said p'ivoted frame at its free end. l

2. A river bottom excavating machine comprising a hull, a straight transversely disposed shaft carried by said hull, means for driving said shaft at the ends thereof, a frame pivotally mounted on said shaft, a crank shaft carried by the free end of the frame, digging elements carried by the cranks of the crank shaft, said digging elements being provided with slidable connections with the straight transversely disposed shaft, driving connections between the transversely disposed shaft` and the crank shaft at opposite sides of the frame, cables connected to the opposite sides of the frame adjacent its free end and means for simultaneously imparting pulls on said cables for raising and lowering the free end of the frame and prevent-ing a twisting strain on the straight transversely disposed shaft and crank shaft.

3. A river bottom excavating machine comprising a hull, a straight transversely disposed rotatable drive shaft carried adjacent one end of said hull, a frame pivotally mounted on said drive shaft, a crank shaft carried by `the free end of said frame, sprocket and chain driving connections be- 1,533,423 fig tween the straight transversely disposed shaft and the crank shaft and disposed at opposite sides of the frame, bars pvotally mounted on the crank shaft, said bars being pivotally and slidably connected to the straight transversely disposed shaft at their rear ends, said pivotal and slidable connections forming means whereby during the rotation of the crank shaft L prying action will be imparted on digger elements carried 10 by the digger bars.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presenre of tWo suiiscl'ribing` witnesses.

AARON JOHNS( N.

VitneSseS:

JoHiT XV. SMITH, JOHN A. WILSON.

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