US2299918A

US2299918A - Dirt tamper

Info

Publication number: US2299918A
Application number: US408862A
Authority: US
Inventors: Emile W Moellenkamp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-08-29
Filing date: 1941-08-29
Publication date: 1942-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1959-10-27

Description

Oct. 27, 1942.

E. W. MOELLENKAMP DIRT TAMPER Filed Aug. 29, 1941 GGGGH Snoentor Emile W. Molle/:kamp

l to a large extent'the bending strain Patented Oct. 27, 1942 fi l' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,299,918 i DIRT TAMPER' Emile W. Moellenkamp, Shreveport, La. Application August 29, 1941, Serial' N0. 408,862 (o1. :i4- 49) 8 Claims.

My invention relates to dirt tampers.

`An object of my invention is to provide a dirt tamperin whichthe tamping head is yieldably connected to the tamper handle to allow the tamper head to coliform to the contour of the earth being tamped and in doing so to eliminate on the tamper handle and the resultant crystallization of the handle, the principal cause of the breaking of tamper handles.

Another object of my invention is to provide a dirt tamper in which the shock in the tamper handle incident to the tamping blow is substantially dissipated before it reaches the portion of the handle normally held by an operator engaged in a tamping operation. i

Other `objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from a consideration of my detailed description to follow taken in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In-the drawing:

Figure 1 is a broken elevation view of a tamper embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is an elevation view of the tamper illustrated by Figure 1 showing it in an operating position encountering an obstruction and Figure 3 is an elevation View of an assembly of some of the parts of by Figure 1.

`Numeral I designatesgenerally the tamping head of my dirt tamper. The tamping head I is provided with the usual flat face 2 found in dirt tampers adapting them to smooth out surfaces. I provide an upwardly extending inverted U shaped link 3 on'my tamper head I as a means of connecting it with the tamper handle core rod 4. The handle core rod 4 is provided with an eyelet` 5 which encircles the inverted U shaped link 3. By means of an interlocking eyelet 5 and the inverted U shaped link 3 there is provided a universal connection between the tamper head I andthe core rod 4 which' permits the tamper head I to conform to an uneven contour of earth such as is illustrated in Figure 2. As will be seen later in my description, this function is not prohibited by the other members of my tamper, My tamper, even as thus far described, constitutes a novel and useful dirt tamper. The tamper handle core rod 4 has its upper end 6 threaded to receive the tensioning nut 'I by means of which my completed tamper is held in assembled position as shown in Figure 1. 1 loosely encase my tamper handle core rod 4 by means of a tubular base shell 8 which is loosely positioned on the the dirt tamper illustrated taniping head I withinan upstanding unitary base shell retaining flange 9 and a handle shell I2 telescopically supported by the base shell 8 through the means of an inwardly extending shell supporting flange ID in the base shell 8. An inwardly extending spring supporting flange I3 is provided inthe tubular handle shell I2 to support the helical compression spring I4.

To assemble my tamper in its assembled position as shown in Figure 1, the tensioning nut 1 should be removed from my tamper handle core rod 4. The tubular base shell 8 should next be slipped over the tamper handle core rod 4 and seated on4 the tamper head I inside of the retaining flange 9 which centers it on the tamper head I. Next I slide over the tamper handle core rod 4 down into the base shell 8 where it rests on an inwardly extending flange type shell support IIJ. After this, I slide the helical compression spring I4 over the` upper end of the core rod 4 and inside of the tubular handle shell I2 to where it rests on the inwardly extendingflange type spring support I3. The last and final operation in the assembly` of my dirt tamper is to screwdown the tensioning nut 'I on the threaded end 6 of the core rod 4. The tension of the helical compression spring I4 brought about by the screwing down of the tensioning nut 1 is transmitted to the tamping head I through handle shell I2 and the base shell 8 and pushes on the tamping head I with the result that a tension strain is set up in the core rod 4 and a compression strain is set up in the telescopic assembly, the handle shell I2 and the base shell 8.

Since the compression spring I4 is yieldable, the tamping head I may be moved out of its assembled position as shown -in Figure 1 to the skewed position shown in Figure 2 without breaking or unduly of my tamper. The farther the tensioning nut 1 is screwed down, the greater the spring tension for holding the parts of the tamper in assembled position becomes. The spring tension is dictated by the particular conditions of the surface being tamped, that is, its texture and contour,

Due to the universal connection between the tamper h'andle core rod 4 and the tamping head I and the play allowed in the core rod casing between base shell 8 and handle shell I2, no bending strain at all of any consequence can be transmitted to the core rod 4, the base shell 8, or the No compression strain can be rod 4 until the link 3 is moved the shock of a tampingblow set up in the core for enough under the tubular handleshell I2 the telescopic assembly of the tubular straining any of the parts to relieve all of the initial tension strain set up in the core rod 4 by th'e compression spring I4 and moves farther to overcome the slack in the eyelet 5 and link 3 connection. Before this can happen the force of the tamping blow is entirely dissi- Dated. The portion of the shock absorbed by the base shell 8 and transmitted to the handle shell I2, which is a number of times larger than the usual tamper handle, is so attenuated as to be unobjecticnable.

The most objectionable shock to the hands of the operator in using tampers comes about by the side thrust of the handle due to the tamper head striking an uneven portion of the ground. These shocks are severe when the prior art type of tamper is used wherein the handle of the tamper is rigidly secured to the tamper head. These shocks also cause the tamper handles in the prior art tampers to crystallize and snap off. In my tamper the handle is allowed to yield sui'liciently to allow the side shocks to be transmitted to and dissipated into the compression spring I4. By the term handle I mean the inverted U shaped link 3, the core rod 4 connected to it, and the core rod casing members, the base shell 8 and core rod shell I2. The base shell 8 is made considerably smaller than the retaining ange B inside of which it fits, the core rod shell I2 is made smaller than the base shell 8 into which it is telescoped to permit them to be thrown out of alignment in respect to one another to allow the compression spring I4 to absorb the side thrust shock.

Having thus described my invention l claim:

l. A tamping tool of the class described, comprising a tamping head, a longitudinal core member extending upwardly from the tamping head, one end of said core member being provided with a hinging means for hinging the core member to the tamper head, a casing means surrounding said core member and resting on said tamping head, and a yieldable clamping means connected to said core member in a manner to push the said casing means down on the said tamping head to oiTer resistance to a tilting motion of the tamping head and to right the tamping head to its normal position.

2. A tamping tool of the class described, comprising a tamping head, a longitudinal core member extending upwardly from the tamping head,

of said core member being provided with a hinging means for hinging the core member to the tamping head, a casing member surrounding the core member and resting on the tamping head, said casing member including a base shell and a handle shell, said base shell being adapted to rest on the tamping head and provided with a supporting means to support the handle shell in a loose telescopic fashion and a yieldable clamping means including a spring connected to said core member adapted to push the said casing member down on the said tamping head to oer resistance to a tilting motion of the tamping head and to right the tamping head to its normal position.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said tamping head is provided with a retaining means adapted to center the said base shell on the said tamping head.

4. A tamping tool of the class described, comprising a tamping head, a longitudinal core member extending upwardly from the tamping head, the lower end of said core member being provided with a hinging means for hinging the core member to the tamping head, a casing member surcore member and resting 0n the to compress the compression spring.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said casing member includes a base shell and a handle shell said base shell being adapted to shell in a loose telescopic fashion.

6. The device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the tamping head is provided with a retaining means adapted to center the said casing member on the said tamping head.

shell in a telescopic fashion.

against tamping head and erted on the core member.

EMILE W. MOELLENKAIWP.