US1747747A - Blade-controlling device for road maintainers - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 18, 1930. o. B. WALTERS BLADE CONTROLLING DEVICE- FOR ROAD MAINTAINERS Filed May 22, 1928 O.B.Walters SMMM/H' Patented Feb. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES ODIN B. WALTERS, OF COUNCIL BLUFIFS, IOWA BLADE-CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ROAD MAINTAINEBS Application filed May 22,

The present invention relates to improvements in blade controlling devices for road maintainers, and has for an object to provide a mechanism whereby the blade may be raised and lowered either as a whole or locally at its end portions.

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a remote control for the blade raising and lowering devices, whereby the operator in riding upon the tractor ahead of the maintainer may selectively raise and lower the blade ends or the blade as a whole from his position upon the tractor.

A further object of the invention lies in providing improved devices for raising and lowering the blade locally; improved mechanism for separately or simultaneously operating said devices; and improved remote control means for selectively operating said 2 mechanisms.

A still further object of the invention is to so construct, dispose and arrange the various agencies as not to interfere with the standard construction and free operation of the road maintainer and of the blade; while at the same time conserving space and weight.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved device of the above described character in which the various parts are grouped into compact formations and are inexpensively constructed and simply and readily operated, and in which the convenience of the driver of the tractor is promoted.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended heretoi In the drawings wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a perspective view of a road maintainer adapted to be towed by a tractor, 45 a portion of which is indicated in dotted lines,

the maintainer being shown as equipped with the improved blade controlling mechanism.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the controller mechanism with the gear case cover removed, and

1928. Serial No. 279,698.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on an enlarged scale through a portion of one of the operation mechanisms and lifting and loweringKdeVices.

eferring more particularly to the draw- 65 ings l0 designates generally a road maintainer of a conventional form supported for movement upon the ground wheels 11. The blade 12 is shown as carried by the yoke and links 13, the latter being pivoted upon the maintainer framework in a well known manner.

Upon the road maintainer and extending transversely thereof approximately above the blade 12 is a framework consisting generally of the pairs of spaced uprights 14 and 15 at opposite sides of the framework. which are coupled together by beams 16 spaced a distance below their upper ends. Pivoted to the lower portions of each pair of uprights 14 and 15, as indicated at 17, are the yoke pieces of arms 18 which extend laterally beyond the sides of the frame 16 and are coupled by links 19 to opposite end portions of the blade 12 or to the blade supports.

The arms 18, at an intermediate point are coupled to the links 20 which extend upwardly and are pivoted to the horizontal arms 21 of the bell crank levers which are fulcrumed at 22 between the frame uprights 14 and 15. 30

As shown in Figure 3, the vertical arms of the bell crank levers are formed into gear sectors 23 disposed in mesh with worms 24 on worm shafts 25. The worm shafts are mounted in appropriate bearings 26 and 27, which may be in the nature of cross connecting pieces between the upper ends of the uprights 14 and 15.

The worm shafts 25 extend with their axes transversely of the maintainer and with their axes preferably in alinement. At the central portion of the framework and carried in the gear boxes or hearing irames 27 are operating mechanisms for the blade raising and. lowering devices. The boxes 27' receive the worm shafts 25. which are equipped with the bevel gear wheels 28 in mesh with the pinions 29 upon the. vertical pinion shafts 30. Such pinion shafts carry at their lower ends other bevel piniens 31 disposed in mesh with the pinions 32 upon the driving shafts 33 and 34. The driving shafts extend forwardly from the framework which supports the operating mechanisms. Their forward ends are supported in the brackets or standards 33 mounted upon the forward portion of the road maintainer and extending at an inclination forwardly, so as to support the controller mechanism in a position overhanging the front of the tractor, a portion of which tractor is shown at 34 in dotted-lines as being hitched to the road maintainer.

Referring more particularly to Figure 2 the forward portion of the shaft 33 is shown as having fixed thereto a pinion 35 as by the use of a square hub 36 of the pinion fitting upon a square end portion 37 of the shaft.

In a similar way the companion parallel shaft 34 is provided with a fixed pinion 38 secured upon the shaft as by the use of a square hub 39 of the pinion fitting over a square portion 40 of the forward part of said shaft 34. It will be noted that the pinions 35 and 38 are in offset relation, or in other words the pinion 38 rotates in a plane forwardly of that of the pinion 35. Arranged between the two shafts 33 and 34 is a square or other control shaft 41 hat ing a hand wheel 42 or other operating part at its forward end which will be accessible to the driver of the tractor for rotating the control shaft 41 and for shifting it axially, as indicated in dotted lines-in Figure 1, said shaft 41 being mounted through the gear case 43 for axial sliding adjustment and being provided at its rear end portion with a pin 44 or other device which will avoid the shaft being pulled through the gear casing.

Within the gear casing and fixed to rotate with the control shaft 41, although freely slidable in an axial direction thereon is an elongated pinion 45, which is of a length to span the distance which separates the offset pinions35 and 38. or yoke 46 is shown as coupled to the square hub 47 of the gear wheel and a gear shift rod 48 extends forwardly from the gear shift claw and to a gear shift lever 49 pivoted at 50 on the gear case or other appropriate part.

In the operation of the device, either or both end portions of the blade 12 may be lifted or lowered. In the position shown in Figure 2, the" pinion 45 meshes only with the pinion 35 and drives only the driving shaft 33 when the control shaft 41 is rotated. Consequentl only the right hand end portion of the blade 12 will be affected. This ri ht hand end portion of the blade will be lifted by the raising and lowering.v device at the right side of the framework and its connected mechanism when the hand wheel 42 is rotated in one direction; and such part of the blade will be lowered if the hand wheel and control shaft 41 are rotated in an opposite direction. If it is desired to raise or low- A gear shift claw 1 er only the left hand portion of the blade 12, the operator of the tractor will first shift the gear shift lever 49 backwardly, so as to slide the pinion 45 along the control shaft 41 to a forward position where it will mesh with the pinion 38 and disengage the pinion 35. Upon consequent rotation. of the control shaft in the appropriate direction, the desired lifting or lowering movement may be imparted to the left hand portion of the blade 12.

The gear shift lever 49 and the pinion 45 may also be moved to an intermediate position where the broad pinion 45 will mesh with both offset pinions 35 and 38, in which case rotation of the control shaft will be imparted to both driving shafts 33 and 34 and the blade 12 will be' lifted or lowered, in accordance with the direction of rotation of the control shaft 41, as a whole.

The seats of various makes of tractors are situated at different distances from the rear ends of the tractors and consequently the drivers positions in some cases will be more remote from the hand wheel 42 than in other cases. This lack of uniformity is compensated for by the wide range of axial adjustment permitted the hand wheel 42 through its shaft 41 being longitudinally slidable through the gear case 43. It is to be noted that this axial sliding or adjustment of the hand wheel has no effect on the position of the drive pinion 45, through which the shaft 41 freely slides. However, the arrangement is such that the shaft 41, in any position of its axial adjustment is effective to rotate the pinion 45. On the other hand the pinion 45 is permitted a free axial adjustment of its own without regard to the shaft 41, such axial adjustment being obtained through the claw 46, rod 48 and gear shift lever 49. The

ers seat and to promote the drivers convenience in the operation of the hand wheel no matter where his seat may be located.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of the various parts, and obviously changes could be made in the construction herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

IV hat is claimed is 1. A blade controlling device for road maintainers comprising lifting and lowering devices on the road maintainer coupled to the. blade at spaced points, a shaft for operating each device extending forwardly of the road maintainer, pinions on the shafts in relatively offset ositions, a central operat ing shaft accessible for angular adjustment from the tractor which draws the road maintainer, and a shiftable pinion associated to rotate with the control shaft and adapted to mesh with either of the first mentioned offset pinions or with both said ofi'set pinions.

2. A blade controlling device for road maintainers comprising lifting and lowering devices on the road maintainer coupled to the blade at spaced points, a shaft for operating each device extending forwardly of the roa maintainer, pinions on the shafts in relatively offset positions, an axially adjustable central operating shaft accessible for angular adjustment from the tractor which draws the road maintainer, a drive pinion shiftable longitudinally on the operating shaft but fixed to rotate therewith and adapted to mesh singly with either of the offset pinions or simultaneously with both, and the gear shift mechanism also accessible from the tractor for moving said drive pinion.

3. A blade controlling device for road maintainers comprising a framework on the road maintainer approximately above the blade, lifting and lowering devices carried by opposite side portions of the frame and coup ed to opposite end portions of the blade a separate mechanism for each device carried centrally upon the frame, shafts for operat ing said mechanisms extending longitudinally of the road maintainer and to the front portion thereof, means at the front portion of the road maintainer for supportlng the forward ends of the shafts, offset pinions on the front portions of the shafts, an axially shiftable control shaft mounted between said first mentioned shafts, an operating element carried by said control shaft and accessible to the driver of the tractor, and a driving pinion fixed to rotate with the control shaft but shiftable axially thereof to mesh with either of the first mentioned pinions or with both said pinions simultaneously.

4. A blade controlling device for road maintainers comprising lifting and lowering devices on the road maintainer coupled to the blade at spaced points, shafts for operating said devices extending'forwardly of the road maintainer, pinions on the shafts in relatively offset relation, a broad drive in ion for meshing simultaneously with both of the first-named pinions and adjustable axially to mesh with either pinion to the exclusion of the other, an operating shaft for the drive pinion arranged to rotate the pinion but being freely slidable through said drive pinion in an axial direction, an operating memher on the forward portion of the operating shaft adjustable axially with said shaft, and independent means to shift the drive pinion back and forth on said operating shaft.

5. A blade controlling device for road maintainers comprising lifting and lowering devices on the road maintainer coupled to the blade at spaced points, shafts for operatin said devices extending forwardly of the road. maintainer, pinions on the shafts in relative 1y oflFset relation, a gear case for said pinions, a broad drive inion for meshing at the same time with bot 1 the first-named pinions and being adjustable axially to mesh with either pinion to the exclusion of the other, an operating shaft mounted for axially sliding movement through the gear case and having relatively axially sliding movement through said drive pinion but constructed to rotate said drive pinion, an operating member fixed on the forward portion of the operating shaft for rotating and sliding axially with the shaft, means on the other end portion of the shaft to avoid its withdrawal from the gear case, and means independent of the o erating shaft for sliding said drive pinion along said operating shaft independently of the axial movement of the latter.

In testimony whereof, I have aifixed my signature.

ODIN B. WALTERS.

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