US2799099A - Moldboard mounting for motor graders - Google Patents

Description

July 16, 1957 c. P. LELITER uoLDBoARD MOUNTING Fox uoToR aAnzRs 2 sheds-sheet 1 Filed .my 13, 1954 NNL- h b July 16, 1957 c. P. LELrn-:R

Mowoano uoun'rmc Foa MoToR camisas 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed.4 July 15, 1954 I Il lllll IIIIH @NWA/Mori gm/mw 2,799,099 MOLDBOARD MOUNTING FOR MOTOR GRADERSy Chester P. Leliter, Springfield, Ill., assignor to Allis- Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application July 13, 1954, SerialNo.V 442,941 y Claims. (Cl.37-156) v This invention relates to road graders, and itis Vcon- I cernedvwith the y'mountingofa'moldboard'ion a road grading machine. More particularly, this invention lis. concerned with the mounting of a moldboard on its support so that it may be selectively adjusted to different laterally adjusted working positions. s

In mounting a laterally shiftable moldboard vvon a supporting structure, it has heretofore been suggested to provide upper and lower guide way and guide rail comf binations wherein slide surfaces of considerablelength contact each other to afford the necessary sturdiness` and stability. However, with such moldboard supporting arrangements diculties are apt to arise when the moldboard is slightly distorted, as may be expected in normal operation, because a distorted moldboard and the resulting friction may cause the guide ways `and guide rails to bind and make it difficult or impossible to later'-v ally shift the moldboard.

Also, in grading work it often happens that some of the earth or other material being worked spills over they top of the moldboard and, in some of the shiftable moldboard arrangements as heretofore used, such spilled material was able to lodge itself between'guide way and guide rail surfaces causing excessive wear'of these surfaces and making it diicult to laterally shift the moldboard. Further, in the known moldboard shifting arrangements which usea pair of vertically `spacpJed- Aslide connections lbetween' the moldboardy and its supportnit is necessary to provide loose fitting of the relatively slidable parts so that'bindingwill not-occur whenthepni'old-A board becomes-distorted in use. A disadvantage inpro-l viding for loose ttingA o f the relatively.slidableparts is that this allowsv chattering of the lmoldboard is well known in the ai-'tas preventingfine grading and-pijo-- ducing objectionable vibrations.

Also, in manufacturing road grading machines Jis desirable, for reasons''f economy, to use rolled steel stock or tubing as much as possible. The `nonrnachined components made from "rolled steel stockj-or tubing,

cannot be tted as closely as machnedwparts due .to un.

avoidable manuf'aczt'uririgA variations of rolledstock.'

Where guide Ways andvguide rails are made from rolled stockthe variations in -dimensions require a ,loose vfitA or it will be diicult or impossible to shift the moldboard.`

As previously Amentioned, loose fitting guide way and. guide railparts allowundesirable chattering of thelblade.-

In laterally shiftable moldboard mountings as hereto-v fore known, provisions have'also been made for installing and removing the moldboard by sliding the moldboard endwise relative to its support. installationand"removal of the moldboard is time consuming andl usually requires machinery and manpower not readily available'at the site of operationsl Accordingly, many previous designs have not vbeen entirely; satisfactory from the standpoint of providing 'a shiftablemoldboard whichmay be zreadily installed on or removable' fromits support. y

From 'an engineering and However, such endwise'- performance` standpoin'tglit'f nited` States Patent() ICC is further desirable that the support, and particularly the vertical load transmitting portion of the support for the shiftablemoldboard, be located near the moldboard cutting'edge so as to give maximum rigidity and reduce any tendencyof the moldboard to chatter. Also, provisions for adjustment are desirable which will make it possible to compensate for slight machining inaccuracies or for possible wear in the vertical load transmitting surfaces of theusupporting guide ways and guide rails.

y Generally, it is an object lof this invention to provide an improved moldboard mounting for road graders or the like which takes care of the hereinbefore mentioned difficulties and 'requirements in a practical and entirely satisfactory manner. y

vMore specivically, itis an object of thisy invention to provide ran improved moldboard mounting which will allowfshifting of a moldboard even though the moldy a rippled or washboard surface.

board may be subjected to twisting or bending forces tending to distort it, yet will not be so loose tting as` to allow chattering of the moldboard which produces A further object of this invention is to provide an improved laterally shiftable moldboard mounting wherein foreign material such as earth will be prevented from lodging itself between the guide way and guide rail surfaces, so that proper lateral shifting ofthe moldboard will be insured at all times.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved laterally shiftable moldboard mounting wherein the moldboard` may be readily removed by the' operator without resort to endwise withdrawal of the moldboard from its support.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved shiftable moldboard mounting of the hereinbefore outlined character wherein adjustments are provided for compensating for slight inaccuracies in machined portions of and for slight wear in the Vertical load transmitting surfaces of the guide way and guide rail parts. n

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved moldboard mounting of the hereinbefore outlined character wherein the moldboard is slidably supported at a portion thereof in desirably close proximity to its cutting edge. i

A further object of this invention is to provide mounting for a shiftable moldboard which gives satisfactory service, is easy to install, remove, adjust and maintain and is economical to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be evident when the following description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

"'Fig. 1 is a side View of a road grading machine incorporating the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line II-II in Fig. l showing a rear view of a laterally shiftable moldboard and its supporting structure;

Fig. 3l is an enlarged section taken on line III-Ill in Fig. 2 showing the mounting of the laterally shiftable moldboard;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line IV-lV in` i Fig. 2 showing a top view of a lower guide way and v front steering wheels 11 and a power unit 12 forlpro- 7" pelling the machine. A subframe 16 is universally con-` nected at its forward end to the rear side of the front end of goose neck portion 8. The rear end of subframe 16 is suspended for vertical adjustment by a pair of power controlled links 17 and its lateral position is regulated by a power controlled side shift link 18. A moldboard support in the form of a circle assembly 21 is rotatably mounted on the rear end of subframe 16 and has an external ring gear 22 formed on a circle member 23 of the support 21 for meshing with driving pinion 24 which is powered through a gear train including a worm and gear mechanism 26 mounted on subframe 16.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, the moldboard support 21 has a pair of arms 27 and 28 secured at their upper ends, as by welding, to the circle member 23. TheseY arms 27 and 28 are stabilized, respectively, by a pair of braces 29 and 31, part of brace 31 being broken away in Fig. 2 to allow illustration of other details. Braces 29 and`31 are secured, as by welding, at their upper ends tothe circle member 23. Brace 29 is secured, as by welding, at its lower end to the lower portion of arm 27 and brace 31 is secured, as by welding, at its lower end to the lower portion'of arm 28.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, a first slide bracket 32 is mounted on the left side of support 21 and more specically it is pivotally connected at its lower end to the lower end of arm 27 by a bolt 33 and nut 34. As shown in Fig. 3, a series of holes 35 are provided near the top of bracket 32 and a stud bolt 30 extends through one of these holes 35 and is threaded into a tapped hole in arm 27. A second slide bracket 36 is mounted on the right side of support 21 and more specifically on arm 28 through a bottom pivot connection afforded by bolt 37 and nut 38 and an upper connection afforded by a stud bolt, not shown, but which is installed in a manner similar to that of stud bolt 30. Slide bracket 32 may be pivotally adjusted about bolt 33 by using one of the several holes 35. If, for instance, the rear hole 35 were used the bracket 32 would be pivoted forward relative to the arm 27. If the bracket 36 were likewise pivoted forward, the moldboard assembly 39 would then be tilted forward about the axis of bolt 33 from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. A limitation to forward pivoting of brackets 32 and 36 about their lower connection with arms 27 and 28, respectively, is provided by lugs formed on the arms and fingers formed on the brackets in abuttable relation to the lugs. As shown in Fig. 3, a lug 40 is formed on arm 27 and a finger 45 is formed on bracket 32 in abuttable relation to lug 40.

Moldboard assembly 39 includesl a moldboard 41 which has an elongated slide member 42 connected to the lower rear of a channel 43. This slide member 42 might also be described as a lower guide rail and it extends almost to the laterally opposite ends of the moldboard. The channel member 43 is secured, as by welding, to the rear of the moldboard and the elongated slide member 42 is in turn secured, as by welding, to channel member 43. The moldboard assembly 39 also includes an angle beam 44 which is secured, as by welding, to the top of channel member 43. The angle beam is coextensive in length with channel member 43.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lower connection between the slide bracket 32 and moldboard assembly 39 is afforded by a C-shaped bearing portion 57 presented by slide bracket 32, and the elongated slide member 42 is operatively mounted in endwise shiftable and downward, upward, forward, and rearward load transmitting relation to the C-shaped bearing portion 57. C-shaped bearing portion 57 includes a rst part formed on a support attaching portion of bracket 32, this rst part presenting a plane downward load transmitting surface 58 and a plane forward load transmitting surface 59. Further, C-shaped bearing portion 57 includes a second part, which is a part of the slide bracket 32, which presents a plane upward load transmitting surface 61 and a plane rearward load transmitting surface 62. This second part is in the form of a releasable cap member 63.

The elongated slide member or guide rail 42 projects forwardly through the gap of the C-shaped bearing portion 57 and has an attaching portion 64, outside of the beforementioned C-shaped bearing portion 57, which is rigidly connected, as by welding, along its length to channel member 43. Slide member 42 presents a plane upward thrust transmitting surface 66, a plane rearward thrust transmitting surface 67, a plane downward thrust transmitting surface 68 and a plane forward thrust transmitting surface 69, these surfaces extending almost the length of the moldboard and cooperating with load transmitting surfaces 58, 59, 61 and 62, respectively, to permit endwise shifting of the moldboard 41 relative to its support 21. As shown, the load transmitting surfaces 58, 59, 61 and 62 are relatively short in length along the direction of shifting movement of the moldboard assembly.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 5, the upper connection between the moldboard assembly 39 and its support is afforded by a downward opening guide channel on the moldboard assembly and guide bars 49 secured to the slide brackets of the moldboard support. The guide chan nel presents a rearward facing slide surface 47 on channel member 43 and an inward facing slide surface 48 formed on the vertically disposed leg of angle beam 44. The guide channel straddles the upper guide rail or guide bar 49 which presents a pair of relatively spaced guide lips 51 and 52. As shown in Fig. 5, the guide bar 49 is of relatively short length in the direction of lateral moldboard shifting movement and has a rearward extending leg 53 which is secured to an ear 54 of slide bracket 32 by a pair of stud bolts 56. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper surface of the guide bar 49 is spaced for clearance from leg 46 of angle beam 44 and thus the guide bar 49 and the guide channel formed by angle beam 44 'and channel member 43 are in vertically loose relation to one another. However, the slide surfaces 47 and 48 and lips 51 and 52 are in horizontal thrust transmitting relation to one another and this cooperation between the surface 47 and lip 51 and between surface 48 and lip 52 prevents the moldboard assembly 39 from pivoting about its lower connection with the bracket 32.

The moldboard 41 has a blade 71 with a cutting edge 72, the blade being secured to the moldboard by a series of bolts 73 and nuts 74. Since the load transmitting surfaces 58, 59, 61 and 62 of C-shaped bearing portion 57 are located in close proximity to the cutting edge 72 of moldboard 41, the cutting edge is stabilized against deections which are apt to produce undesirable chatter. The two vertical load transmitting surfaces 58 and 61 have an accurate t with the surfaces 66 and 68 formed on the elongated slide member 42. Surfaces 66 and 68 are a uniform distance apart along the length of slide member 42 which slides relative to bearing portion 57. Thus there is a minimum of clearance between surfaces 58 and 66 and between surfaces 61 and 68 which permits the blade to be rigidly held against vertical shifting yet allows lateral shifting of the moldboard by power means, to be described. Also by forming both of the two vertical thrust transmitting surfaces, 66 and 68, on a single member such as slide member 42 in closely adjacent relation to each other, it is possible to form these surfaces so as to be of uniform spacing from one another. Further, these surfaces will maintain their uniform spacing even though the moldboard is subjected to distorting and twisting forces.

Some distortion in a moldboard is almost inevitable under usual working conditions and this invention prevents this distortion from causing binding between the moldboard assembly and its support by providing a vertically loose upper guide way-guide rail connection. As previously mentioned,v this upper guide way-guide rail connection, which includes the guide rail 49 and the guide way presented by angle beam 44 and Channel member 43.

serves tostabliz'e the upper portion of y'the moldboard against pivoting about the lower connection betweenC-l shaped bearing portion 57 and slide member 42.

Referring again to the lower guide way-guide rail connection at the lower rear of channel member 43, cap member 63 is secured to slidebracket 32 by a pair of bolts 73 extending through holes 74 and 76 in cap member 63 and bracket 32, respectively, and nuts 77 which engage upper threaded portions 78 formed on bolts 73. A plurality of shims 79 are interposed between cap member 63 and slide bracket 32. By adding or removing one or more of the shims it is possible to compensate for slight machining inaccuracies and possible wear in the vertical load transmitting surfaces S8 and 61 and vertical thrust transmitting surfaces 66 and 68. Thus cap member 63 is vertically adjustable relative to the support attaching portion of bracket 32.

The description of slide bracket 32 and its slidable connection with the rear of moldboard 41 is equally applicable to slide bracket 36 connected to arm 28. Slide bracket 36, as appears in Figs. l, 2 and 4, has a C-shaped bearing portion 103 which presents plane downward, forward, upward and rearward load transmitting surfaces in cooperating relation to plane upward, rearward, downward and forward thrust transmitting surfaces 66, 67, 68 and 69, respectively, formed on slide member 42. A cap member 104, similar to cap member 63, is secured to the support attaching portion of slide bracket 36 by a pair of bolts 106 and a pair of nuts 107.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be noted that the C-shaped bearing portions 57 and 103 are of relatively short length in the direction `of lateral shifting of the moldboard.

As shown in Fig. 2, a double acting hydraulic ram 81 is provided to selectively supply the power for laterally shifting the moldboard assembly 39 relative to its support 21. Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the ram 81 has a cylinder 82 connected at its closed end to the arm 28 of the support 21 by a ball and socket connection. The ball and socket connection includes a ball headed member 83 having a tapered connecting stem 84 drawn into a complementary tapered hole 86 in a mounting flange 87 by a nut 88 threaded onto a threaded portion 89 of stem 84. Mounting flange 87 is secured, as by welding, to arm 28. Also, the ball and socket connection includes a conventional two piece socket including a part 91, formed on the closed end of the cylinder 82, and a cap 92. The cap 92 is secured to part 91 by a U-clamp 93 in a conventional manner.

The ram 81 has a piston 94 to which a piston rod 96 is connected. The outer end of the rod 96 is connected to the rear of the moldboard assembly 39 by a ball and socket connection of conventional construction which, as shown in Fig. 3, includes a ball member 97 having a base portion 98 secured, as by welding, to channel member 43 and a socket including a cap 99 (Fig. 2) releasably secured lto a base part 101, formed on the outer end of rod 96, by releasable U-clamp 102. Hydraulic uid is supplied to and exhausted from the double acting ram 81 in conventional manner by a suitable hydraulic system.

Referring to Fig. 2, upon introduction of pressure fluid into the right side of the cylinder 82 the piston rod 96 is extended and the moldboard assembly 39 is laterally shifted to the left relative to support 21, for instance, to the position shown in phantom by dot-dash lines 108. The moldboard assembly may likewise be shifted laterally to the right from its intermediate position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 by contraction of ram 81. The moldboard may be removed by disconnecting the piston rod 96 from the moldboard 41 (release U-clamp 102) and by removing the releasable and vertically adjustable cap members 63 and 104. Endwise withdrawal of the moldboard to disengage the guide way-guide rail connections is unnecessary.

Referring to Fig. 3, the upper guide way or guide channel` is downwardopening and by thus forming the guide channel, earth or 4other material being worked which may lspill over the top of the moldboard will not lodge in the guide channel so as to prevent or hinder lateral shifting of the moldboard. A guard 109 is secured atits laterally oppositeends to arms 27 and 28, respectively, and this guardisprovided toprevent rocks, which may spill over the top of the blade, from damaging the cylinder 82.

Although the invention is shown only in a single embodiment, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the inventionto thissingle embodiment and that the invention may be embodied in such other forms and modifications as are embraced by the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In a road grading machine, the combination of a laterally shftable moldboard assembly, a support, and means operatively mounting said moldboard assembly on said support for selective movement to different laterally adjusted working positions, said means comprising; a pair of relatively spaced slide brackets mounted on said support at laterally opposite side portions, respectively, of the latter and each presenting a generally C-shaped bearing portion, an elongated slide member forming part of said moldboard assembly and operatively mounted in said bearing portions in endwise shiftable and in downward, upward, forward and rearward load transmitting relation thereto, said elongated member having an attaching portion projecting through the gaps of said C-shaped bearing portions; a pair of relatively spaced guide lips mounted on said support at said opposite sides of the latter in vertically spaced relation to said bearing portions, respectively, and a guide channel formed on said moldboard assembly at the rear side of the latter in straddling, vertically loose relation to said guide lips so as to stabilize said moldboard assembly against forward and rearward tilting about said C-shaped bearing portions.

2. The combination set forth in claim l in which each of said C-shaped bearing portions has plane downward, upward, forward and rearward load transmitting surfaces and said elongated slide member has plane thrust transmitting surfaces formed in complementary relation to said load transmitting surfaces.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which each of said C-shaped bearing portions includes a removable cap member presenting said upward and rearward load transmitting surfaces.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 in which said rearward load transmitting surface is adjacent to said upward load transmitting surface.

5. The combination set forth in claim l in which said gaps of said C-shaped bearing portions face the rear side of said moldboard assembly.

6. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said attaching portion extends substantially the length of said elongated slide member.

7. The combination set forth in claim 1 in which said guide channel `is downward opening.

8. The combination set forth in claim 7 in which said guide channel is substantially coextensive in length with said elongated lslide member and said guide lips are horizontally spaced from each other and presented by guide bars formed, respectively, on said slide brackets.

9. In a road grading machine, the combination of a moldboard, a support, and means operatively mounting said moldboard on said support for selective movement to different laterally adjusted working positions, said means comprising: an elongated slide member connected along its length to the lower rear of said moldboard and presenting downward, upward, rearward and forward thrust transmitting surfaces, and a pair of horizontally spaced slide brackets mounted on said support at laterally opposite side portions, respectively, of the latter, each of sa-id slide brackets including a support attaching portion presenting downward and forward load transmitting surfaces in complementary load transmitting relation to said upward vand rearward thrust transmitting surfaces and a releasable cap member presenting upward yand rearward load transmitting surfaces in complementary load transmitting relation to said downward and forward thrust transmitting surfaces, said moldboard being separable from said slide brackets withoutrendwise movement of said moldboard Aupon release of said cap members.

10. In a road grading machine as set forth in claim 9, the combination of shim .means interposed, respectively,

between said cap members and said support attaching l0 portions for allowing vertical adjustment of said cap members relative vto said Vsupport attaching portions, respectively.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,183,058 Antos Dec. 13, 1939 2,195,607 'Wilson et al. Apr. 2, 1940 2,258,890 Gustafson Oct. 14, 1941 Y FOREIGN PATENTS 632,932 France Oct. 17, 1927

Images