US1902693A - Excavating machine - Google Patents

Description

Filed Feb. 11, 1932 GCCCCICG:

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 21, 1933 PATENT OFFICE l ROBERT REX DOWNIE, 0F BEAVER FALLSyPENNSYLVANIA EXCAVATING MACHINE Application filed February 11, 1932. Serial No. 592,407.

This invention rela-tes to excavating machines, and among other objects aims to provide an improved scoop of the latched t. bottom type wherein the hauling line, which C? moves the scoop during the excavating stroke,

is utilized to release the latch, permitting the bottom to swing open and dump the contents of the scoop. l f

Referring to the drawing, wherein there 9 is shown so muchof an excavating scoop as is necessary for an understanding of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a skimmer scoop equipped with the novellatch releasing mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view showing the connection between the hauling line and 2Q the latch releasing mechanism.

In the Downie Patent No. 1,511,114 there is shown a ditching or trenching machine digofing inwardly in amore or less arcuate pat and operated during the excavating 27? cycle by two power lines, the dumping being accomplished by pulling on a special tag line attached to the latch. In the Downie Patent'1,536,390 there is shown a skimmerscoop whose bottom is dumped by ".39 pullingon a tag line. These patents are fairly representative of the prior commercial art and clearly indicate that it has always been necessary heretofore for the operator of 5 the machine to operate the dumping line, or else to employ an extra man whose sole work is to control the dumping of the scoop. Both alternatives have serious drawbacks: the first, because of the labor imposed upon the o operator, and also because frequently he will lose control of the position of the scoop while reaching for andpulling the ftag line; and second, because of the labor cost and the fact that the two men may not (zo-ordinate their 43 efforts properly and may frequently spill the load, i. e., dump it at the wrong spot.V Power operated latch mechanisms have 'also been used to some extent,'but these are necessarily quite expensive and are difficult to protect A50 adequately because of their location on the mechanical equivalents, are entirely elimii nated, and the latchis released by power obtained from the hauling line, which lis connected directly to the scoop and indirectly to the latch. y

This application is a substitute for the application Ser. No. 292,656, filed July 14, 1928, allowed August 13, 1930, renewed July" 27, 1931 and again allowed August 7, 1931. The present case is distinguishable from two other pending applications, Serial Nos. v292,655 and 292,657 filed July 111, 1928, in that it is limited to the operation of the latch by mech# anism which may be actuated by -a single reciprocation of the hauling line (that is, by

al sharp release and sharp retraction of the relative to the latchand'to trip the latch by its momentum.

Referring particularly to the drawing,

there is shown a portion of a skimmer scoop including a side wall 10, a rear wall 11, and a bottom12which'is pivoted at the end of the scoop, not shown in the drawing. Patent No. 1,536,390 is a disclosure of a skimmer scoop. To maintain the bottom 12 in closed position, a latch piece 13 is secured to the bottom and engages with a pivoted latch `14 which is normally held -in closed position by one or more springs 15. As'shown, the springs 15 are mounted on pins 16 having adjusting nuts 17 at their outer ends; and the springs en'- gage wings 18 secured to the latch 14 oneither side so as to hold the latch normally inthe position shown while permitting the release of the latch to allow the bottom to drop by gravity to dump the contents of the scoop.

As shown, the hauling line 19 is dead-ended to the fscoop, although a slight relative motion is permitted between the hauling line andv the scoop. The end of the hauling line is lever forming the operating member of a latch releasing mechanism to be described. The bell crank lever is pivoted to a bracket 22 rigidly secured to the upper portion of the rear wall 11 of the scoop, preferably midway between the side walls 10. It will be obvious that when the hauling line is released and retracted, the arm 21 will swing on its pivot, thus permitting slight relative movement between the hauling line and the scoop. To allow for this movement, without chafing ofthe hauling line, a roller 23 is mounted on the bail 24 of the scoop and the hauling line 19 passes over the roller 23, as shown.

The other arm 25 of the bell crank lever extends over the top of the wall 11 of the scoop and when the hauling line 19 is pulled taut, as Vshown in Fig. 1, arm 25 just engages a stop 26 secured by brackets or angle pieces 27, 28 to the top of the scoop. The stop 26 and angle piece 28 together provide means limiting angular movement of arm 25 to a very small arc, preferably less than 15. To hold the bell crank lever in proper position, and to facilitate the latch-releasing action to be described, a pair of coil springs 29 are connected to the bell crank lever on opposite sides and are also secured to the bracket 28, the eifectrofsaid springs being to tend to rotate the bell crank lever clockwise-a tendency which is subordinate to the normal tension of the hauling line. However, when the hauling line is released, the springs 29 will rotate the bell crank lever clockwise through the small ang-1e permitted by the described construction. Y

A latchreleasing mechanism is interposed between the extremity of the arm 25 and the latch 14, so as to be moved by arm 25 and transmit tripping force to the latch. Preferably the latch 14 is a bell crank lever pivoted to the rear wall of the scoop on the outside thereof and has an arm 30 projecting substantially at right angles to the rear wall. The latch releasing mechanism includes a pair of longitudinally alined rods 31, 32 which are secured on opposite sides of a weight 33, Vthe two rods and the weight constituting an assembly whose momentum 1s utilized to trip the latch. Preferably the rod 32 provides a carrier for a pair of coil springs 34, .35, which bear on opposite sides of a slidable' sleeve 36 whichA is pivotally connected to the end of the arm 25, as shown. The rod 31 passes down through a hole in the end of the latcharm 30 and has ahead 37 on tent in both directions relative to latch arm 30, its connection with said arm may be termed a lost-motion connection. It will clear that the weighted assembly actslike a hammer when tripping the latch; also that rod 31 alone could be made heavy enough to trip the latch by its momentum, without employing a special weight mounted on it. Hence, I desire that theterm weight in the claims be broadly construed.

To permit adjustment between the rod 31 and the arm 30, said `rod is connected by screw-threads 38 to the weight, which preferably has a screw-threaded bore. A nut 39 may be used to lock the rod-31 in its adjusted position relative to the weight 33. Thus the distance of the head 37 below the weight 33 may be adjusted to insure proper action of the mechanism.

The operation of the mechanism will now be easily understood. The hauling line 19 is sharply released (by mechanism unnecessary to describe because not forming a part of the present invention) whereupon the springs 29 will cause the arm 25 to move downwardly or clockwise, thus carrying with it the weighted assembly, because of compression of spring 34. The line 19 is then sharply retracted, this retraction .following rapidly after the initial release, and this will move the weighted assembly upwardly and cause the head 37 to deliver a blow against the latch arm, thus tripping the latch. The action of the parts is greatly facilitated by the springs 34, 35, the spring 34 being initially compressed by the clockwise movement of the' arm 25'and hence expanding t0 vadd its energy to that of the moving weight, upon the upward stroke of the reciprocating weighted assembly, and spring 35 checking arm 25 by its compression as said arm reaches its upper limit of travel.

While a single release of the `hauling line followed rapidly by a sharp retraction thereof should be suiiicient to trip the latch, Vif the latch is not tripped the first time, several successive vibratory impulses imparted to theV line may be used to build up the ymomentum of the weighted assembly, thus makingcertain the quick tripping of the latch.

No attempt has been made in this application to illustrate more than one kind of excavating scoop equipped with mechanism embodying the invention. It will be clear that the invention is particularly useful in the operation of ditchers and skimmers, examples of which are shown in the patents referred to.

1 believe that I am the first inventor of a practicable means andv method for controlling the latch of adrop bottom excavating scoop, or the latch of a pivoted scoop, as shown in the Clutter Patent No. 1,317 ,431, by a single line whose normal function of hauling the scoop through the earth is not interfered with and without necessitating material change in the position of the scoop. Therefore, 1 seek in this and in the aforesaid'applications, the broadest possible protection on my inventive concepts.

A Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. l/Vhat I claim is l. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a scoop having an automatically latched bottom; a hauling line Y attached to the scoop; and mechanism mounted on the scoop and connectedto the hauling line and latch for releasing the latch, said mechanism having Va reciprocatory Weight whose momentum is used to release the latch, and being so constructed and arranged that a sharp release of the hauling line followed by a sharp retraction will operate it.V` Y

2. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a scoop having an automatically latched bottom; a hauling line attached to the scoop; and latch-releasing mechanism on the scoop directly connected to the haulingline and latch and having a movable weight whose momentum is used to release the latch; the connection between the latch-releasing mechanism and the hauling line being interposed rbetween the hauling line and the scoop so that power from the hauling line is utilized in releasing the latch.

8. A machine of the cla-ss described comprising, in combination, a scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward end; a latch for the bottom, which automatically engages; va hauling line connected to the scoop; and a latch releasing mechanism mounted on the back of the scoop and connected to both the hauling line and the` latch; said latch releasing mechanism including a weight and operating by the momentum of the weight to trip the latch.

4. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward end; a bell crank lever pivoted on the rear wall of the scoop and having one end shaped so as to latch the bottom and having an arm projecting outwardly substantially at right angles to the rear wall Va lspring to cause said latch end to automatically engage; a hauling line for pulling the scoop through the material to be excavated; another bell crank lever pivoted at the top of the rear wall and having one arm connected to the hauling line. said arm transmitting the pull of the hauling line to the scoop; and a reciprocatory member movably connected to the projecting arm of the latch and resiliently connected to the other arm of the bell crank lever at the top of the scoop.

5. A machine of the'class described comprising, in combination, a scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward end; an automatic latch for the bottom; a hauling `Vline connected to the scoop; and a latch-releasing mechanism mounted on the back of the scoop and connected to both the hauling' line and the latch; said latch-releasing mechanism including a rod; a resilient connection vbetween said rod and the hauling line; and a weight secured to the rod; the rodhaving a lostmotion connection with the latch and tripping the latch by means of the momentum of the rod and'weight when reciprocated by a jerk on the hauling line.

6. A machine of the class'described comprising, in combination, a scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward end; an automatic latch for the bottom; a hauling line connected to the scoop; and a latch-releasing prising', in combination, a scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward end; an automatic latch for the bottom; a hauling line connected to the scoop; and a latch-releasing mechanism mounted on the back of the scoop and connected to both the hauling line and the latch; said latch-releasing mechanism including Aa vertically reciprocatory weight; mechanism connecting said weight with the hauling'line; a pair of springsA on` the `weight affording a resilient connection with the hauling line and augmenting the momentum of the weight when reciprocated;

the weight being so connected with the latch that when it is moved upwardlyy forcibly the latch will be tripped, but when it ismoved downwardly the latch will not be affected.

8. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward end; a bell Vcrank lever pivoted on the rear wall of theV scoop and having one end shaped so as to latch therbottom and having' an arm project- Y ing outwardly substantially at right angles to the rear wall; a spring for causing said latch end to automatically engage; a hauling line for pulling the scoop through the mais@ Y terial to be eicavated; another bell crank lever pivoted at the top of the rearwall and* having one arm connected to the hauling line, said arm transmitting the pull of the hauling. line Vto the scoop; a reciprocatory weighted member; Vaf connection between ysaid Weighted Vmember and the other arm of the bell crank lever which is at the top of the scoop; a pair'of springs carried by the reciprocatory weighted member onoppositeV sides of said connection; and a head on thek lower end of the weightedfmember for strik-` ing ltheprojecting arm of thelatch to trip the latch during reciprocation of the weighted member.

9. A machine of the class described comprising, in combination, a scoop; an automatically engaging discharge latch for the scoop; a weight movably mounted on the scoop and of sufficient mass to be capable of tripping the latch; means connected to the weight and contacting with ythe latch. when the weight moves in a certain direction; a hauling line for moving the scoop; and means connecting the hauling line with the weight-so that reciprocation of the line will cause the weight to trip the latch.

10. In combination with an excavating scoop having a bottom pivoted at the torward end; a hauling line; an automatic latch for holding the bottom closed; a latch-releasing arm projecting from the latch; a heavy rod longitudinally movable through said arm substantially at right angles thereto; said rod having a head on its lower end, said head normallyy being spaced below the arm; a lever pivoted to the scoop at an intermediate point and having one end connected to the end of the hauling line so that hauling stresses are transmitted to the scoop Ythrough said lever and its pivotal connection to the scoop,Y said lever having its other end movably connected with c said rod; and springs on opposite sides of said lever and rod connection adapted to bey alternately compressed as the lever is rocked by jerking and releasing the hauling line, thereby auginenting the kinetic energy of the longitudinally movable rod; the head on said rod delivering a blow on said arm sufficient to lift it to trip the latch.

ll. In combination, an excavating scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward e-nd; a hauling line; an automaticlatch for holding the bottom closed; a latch-releasing arm projecting from the latch; a heavy rod longitudinally movable through said arm substantially at right angles thereto; said rod i having a head on its lower end, said headA vnormally being spaced below the arm; a ,lever pivoted to the scoop at an intermediate oint and having one end connected to the end of the hauling line so that hauling stresses are transmitted to the scoop through said lever and its pivotal connection to the scoop; a

' sleeve on the other end of said lever slidable on said rod; coil springs on said rod bearing against the opposite sides of said sleeve and adapted to be alternately compressed as the lever is rocked by jerking and releasing the hauling line, thereby augmenting the kineticV projecting froml the latch; a heavy rod longitudinally movable through said arm substantially at right angles thereto; said 'rod having a head on its lower end, said head normally being spaced below the arm; a weight secured on said rod intermediate its ends; means for adjusting the length of the rod to vary the distance between said head and said arm; a lever pivoted to the scoop at an intermediate point and having one end connected to the end oi the hauling line so that hauling stresses are transmitted to the scoop through said lever and itspivotal connection to the scoop, said lever having its other end -connected with said rod; the head on said rod delivering a blow on said arm sutcient to litt it to trip the latch. j

18. In combination, an excavating scoop having a bottom pivoted at'the forward end, two side walls and a rear wall; a hauling line; an automatic latch for holding the bottom closed7 pivotally mounted on the rear wall of the scoop and having an arm projecting outwardly from the rear wall; a headed rodv fitting loosely in an aperture in said arm and adapted to engage said arm with its head and extending above the top of the rear wall; a lever pivoted at an intermediate point near the upper edge of said rear wall and overhanging the scoop at one end; means for pivotally and slidably connecting the other end of said lever to said rod; a spring on the rod below said ymeans and so arranged as toA be compressed by downward movement of said connecting means on said rod; means for connecting the overhanging end of the lever with said hauling line; and stops for limiting swinging of said lever in either direction.

14:. In combination, an excavating scoop having a bottom pivoted at the forward end, two side walls and a rear wall; a hauling line; an automatic latch for holding the bottom closed, pivotally mounted on the rear wall of the scoop and having an arm projecting outwardly Jfrom the rear wall; a headed rod fitting loosely in an aperture in said arm and adapted to engage said larm with its head and extending above the top of the re-ar wall; a lever pivoted at an intermediate point near the upper edge of said rear wall and overhanging the scoop at one end; means for lpivotally and slidably connecting the other end of said lever to said rod; a spring onr the -rod below said means and so arranged asto be compressed by downwardvmcvement of said connecting means on said rod; means for connecting the overhanging end of the lever with said hauling line; a spring secured to the lever and to the scoop and exerting a constant pull on the hauling line and' the hauling line connecting means; and stops for limiting swinging of said lever in either direction. 1 1 f K 15. In combination, anexcavating scoop having a bottom pivoted'at the forward end,

two side walls and a rear wall; a hauling line; an automatic latch for holding the bottom closed, pivotally mounted on the rear wall of the scoop and having an arm projecting outwardly from the rear wall; a headed rod fitting loosely in an aperture in said arm and adapted to engage said arm with its head and extending above the top of the rear wall;

a weight secured on said rod intermediate its ends; means for adjusting the length of the rod to vary the distance between said head and said arm; a lever pivoted at an intermediate point near the upper edge of said rear wall and overhanging the scoop at one end; means or'pivotally and slidably connecting the other end of said lever to said rod; a spring on the Vrod below said connecting means and so arranged as to be compressed by downward movement of said connecting means on said rod; another spring on the rod above said connecting means and so arranged as to be compressed by upward movement of said connecting means; means for connecting the overhanging end of the lever with said hauling line; a spring secured to the lever and to the scoop and exerting a constant pull on the hauling line and the hauling line connecting means; and stops for limiting swinging of said lever in either direction.

16. In combination, an excavatingscoop having a pivoted bottom, two side walls and a rear wall; a hauling line for moving the scoop through the earth during excavation; an automatic latch for holding the bottom closed, said latch being pivotally mounted on the rear wall of the scoop and having an arm projecting rearwardly from said rear wall; a rod slidable through an aperture in the extremity of said arm and having a head adapted to engage said arm on the under side when the rod is moved upwardly, said rod being upright and substantially parallel with said rear wall; a weight secured on said rod; means for adjusting the position of said head on the rod; a bell crank lever pivoted at the top of said scoop; a sleeve slidable on said rod and restrained by coil springs carried on said rod on each side of said sleeve; one arm of said bell crank lever being pivotally connected with said sleeve; a cable clamp secured at one end to the end of said hauling line and pivotally connected, at its other end, to the other arm of said bell crank lever; and a spring connected to the scoop and the bell crank lever to exert a constant tension on the hauling line.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aixed my signature.

ROBERT REX DOWNIE.

Images