US2841895A - Wheel type trenching machine - Google Patents

Description

July 8, 1.958 l J. F. LINDELI. ET Ax. 2,841,895

WHEEL. IYPE TRENCHING MACHINE Y Filed March 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 25 Z31- 2 -Q E 34 2 l Z4' 5' ,i n 4f f n "l E JNVENTORS 36 MQW ,l if@ BY ,uw .w u W44 Q 44j I Ar'rok/vfx July 8, 1958 J. F. LINDELL ET Ax.

WHEEL TYPE TRENCHING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1l, WSF

United States Patent O z,s4r,s9s WHEEL TYPE TRENCHnvG MACHINE John F. Lindell and Raymond L. Kennedy, Newton, Iowa, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Koehring Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of `Wis consul Application March 11, 1955, Serial No. 493,692

7 Claims. '(Cl. 37-97) y This invention relates yin general to improvements in the `art of producing trenches or the like, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and `operation of vehicle transported mechanisms'for excavating trenches of various length andV depths.

"Some of the more important specific objects of the invention are as foilows:

To provide an improved trenching machine of the type wherein an annular series of revolving excavating buckets are carried by a cantilever frame movably suspended from an opstanding mast assembly swingably mounted upon a transporting vehicle, and in which independent hydraulic hoists operable from a common station 'are provided to move the frame along the mast struct-ure and to swing the latter `in order to rai-se the frame and buckets above the ground.

To provide improved adjusting mechanism for effecting variationin the depth of the lcut being produced by a power driven trenching machine embodying an annular rigid wheel provided with peripheral excavating buckets, and which is adjustably suspended by a cantilever frame swingably mounted from a carriagernovable along upright guides.

To provide improved means for suspending the canti-` lever supporting frame for a trenching machine excavating` wheel, `with the aid of flexible cables or the like connecting the swinging end of the cantilever with `a rigid carriage, Vand in which the cables are provided with devices for constantly eliminating .slack therein.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed descri'ption.

A clear conception of the features constituting the present improvement, and of the construction and operation of a typical trenching machine embodying the invention, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views. j

Fig. l is a perspective View of a commercial trenching unit built in accordance with the present invention;

IFig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the hydraulic ram and mast assemblages of the excavating unit shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3' is a similarly enlarged Iand fragmentary rear view or the hydraulic ram and mast assembly for supporting the excavating wheel and for varying the depth of excavation;

tFig. 4 is a side View of the trenching machine showing the excavating wheel in laction, and also depicting some of the driving mechanism and the location of the wheel suspension mast andframe in roading position in dot-and-dash lines;

Fig. 5` is a greatly enlarged top view of the mast and hydraulic ram assemblage for adjusting the depth of excavation and for equalizng the wheelside thrust;

Eig. 6iis a somewhat enlarged and part sectional elevation of the lower wheel guiding roller assembly showing its position relative to the ring gears for driving the wheel, the pitch line of these gears being shown in dot-r trenching unit shown therein, comprises in general' a' motor propelled vehicle having a chassis 10V; a rigid Wheel located near one end` of the chassis. 10 andconsisting' primarily of a pair of laterally spaced coaxial ring gears 11 interconnected by an annular series of peripheral buckets 12; an elongated upstanding mast assembly hav-- ing a pair of laterally spaced parallel guide masts 13 pivot-ally connected at their lower ends to` the adjacent end of the chassis 10, and being tirmly united near their upper ends by a cross-beam 14;a carriage .15 spanning and being reciprocable along the masts 13; a cantilever frame, 16 extending away from the carriage 15 on opposite sides. of the excavating wheel and having one* endpivotally attached` to the lower extremity of the carriage while its oppositel overhangi-ng end is. connected` to the upper portion of miscarriage by flexible cables 17 lower and rear guiding rollers 18, 19 respectively, journalled upon. the frame 16 and coacting with internal annular surfaceslzt) formed on the ring gears 11; a material unloadt ing conveyor assemblage 21 mounted upon the frame 16 and extending transversely through the upper portion of the excavating rotor; material ejector 22 pivotally suspended from the frame 16 `and coacting with. the successive buckets. 12; coaxial pinions 23 also journalled on the cantilever frame 16 and coacting with the teethA of the ring gears 11; a `hydraulic hoist or ram having a cylinder 24 pivotally mounted uponV the mast assembly while its reciprocable plunger 25 is operatively connectedv to the carriage 15 to raise and lower the latter;` a double-` acting hydraulic hoist or ram having a cylinder 26 pivotally mounted upon the chassis 10 while its movable plunger 27 is directly connected to the cross-beam 14 of the mast assembly; and motion transmitting mechanism 2S drivingly connecting theconveyor assemblage 21 and the pinions 23 with the propelling motor 31 of the vehicle.

The chassis 10 of the vehicle which normally :trans-V ports the tranching mechanism, may be mounted at its medial portion upon a pair of endless crawler tracks 30 adapted to be driven by motor 31 such as an internal combustion` engine preferably supported upon the overhanging front end of the vehicle remote from the exi cavating wheel support, so that the relatively heavy motor 31- will tend to counterbalance the weight of the` trenchingstructure, see Figs. 1 and 4. This vehicle propelling motor 31 is alsoadapted to actuate an hydraulic pump 32 carried by the chassis 10, for delivering liquid under pressure to and releasing spent liquid from the ram cylinders 24, 26; and the, motor 31 isfurthermore capable of being drivingly connected with the propelling tracksV 30and with the trenching wheel drive 28 with the aid of clutches and transmission control levers 33. The forward end of the hydraulic ram cylinder 26 is swingably mounted upon an A-frame or bracket 34\supported upon the vehicle chassis 10, by means of a pivot 35, and the lower portion of the mast assembly is likewisei swingably` mounted at one end of. this chassis by meansy ofother pivots 36, while the delivery of liquid to and from the Fatented Jul-y 8, 1958 3 two ram cylinders 24, 26 is controllable by other levers 37, which, together with the levers 33 are located within easy reach of a single operator disposed upon a seat 38 also mounted upon the vehicle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The rigid trenching wheel or rotor has its driving ring gears 11 lirmly attachedto annular side plates 40 and the inwardly open buckets 12 are rigidly secured to these side plates to provide an annular bucket wheel of durable construction the interior of which is unobstructed. The upstanding masts 13 are formed of sturdy I-beams as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, and the supporting pivots 36 of the mast assembly coact with ears 41 secured to the fronts of these beams, while the rotor carriage 15 is composed of spaced members simultaneously slidable along the rear flanges of the I-beams and have the forward end of the cantilever frame 16 swingably attached thereto by pivots 42. The parallel upstanding masts 13 besides being firmly united by the upper cross-beam 14 to which the ram plunger 27 is attached by a pivot 43, have their lower ends rmly united by another crossbeam 44, upon which the ram cylinder 24 is supported by a pivot 45, while the mid-portions of the masts are likewise rigidly interconnected by a transverse tubular element 46. A horizontal slide 47 spans the gap between the parallel masts 13 and has its opposite ends'provided with shoes 48 which are slidable along these masts, and the lower midportion of this slide 47 is connected to the ram plunger by a pivot 49, see Figs. 2 and 3.

Mounted upon the top of the channel bar slide 47, is a shaft 51 supported in bearings 52, and a pair of sprockets 53 which are rigidly interconnected by a sleeve 54 are journalled for rotation about the shaft 51. A pair of chains 55 coact with the sprockets 53 and the end of one of these chains is connected to the transverse tubular element 46 of the mast assembly by means of an adjustable eye-bolt 56, while the opposite end of this same chain is likewise adjustably attached to the cantilever frame 16 by another eye-bolt 57, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The opposite ends of the other chain 55 may be perma nently pivotally attached to the element 46 and frame 16 respectively. but the eve- bolts 56, 57 permit equalization of the initial tension in the two chains 55. The mounting of the sprockets 53 upon the slide 47 which is movable by the ram plunger 25 to raise or lower the wheel supporting frame 16 and its carriage 15 along the masts 13, causes the excavating rotor to be moved substantially twice the distance that is travelled by plunger 25, and the rigid inter-connection of the sprockets 53 by the intervening sleeve 54 equalizes the lateral or side pressures acting upon the bucket wheel during normal trenching.

The cantilever frame 16 which carries the trenching rotor consists primarily of a pair of elongated sturdy structural beams 59 swingably suspended from the pivots 42 mounted upon the carriage 15, and two pairs of downwardly converging struts 60, 61 carried by the beams 59. The upper ends of the shorter depending struts 60 are swingably attached to the beams 59 by pivots 62, while the upper extremities of the longer struts 61 are adjustably secured to these beams 59 by means of clamping nuts coacting with adjusting bolts 63, and the lower ends of the struts 60, 61 are united by a transverse tube 64 secured to side plates 65, see Figs. l, 4 and 6. The medial portions of the rear struts 61 carry a stop bracket 66 for the bucket cleaner or ejector 22, and the transverse connecting tube 64 has internal anti-friction bearings 67 in which a shaft 68 having the lower guiding rollers 18 firmly secured to its opposite ends, is journalled. The upper guiding rollers 19 are journalled for rotation in bearings 69 supported directly upon the frame beams 59 near the adjusting bolts 63, and each of the rollers 18, 19 coacts with the annular surface 20 of the adjacent ring gear 11 and is provided with an annular end flangeV 70 coactingV with the inner side surface of the adjacent ring 21 gear 11 close to the pitch line 71 of the teeth of these gears 11, as illustrated in Fig. 6.

The material unloading conveyor assemblage 21 which is also mounted upon the cantilever frame 16 is of relatively well known construction and comprises primarily an endless belt 72 coacting with a series of rollers 73 and extending through the upper interior of the annular bucket wheel and laterallytherebeyond, see'Figs. l and 4. This conveyor belt 72 is adapted to be constantly advanced by the motion transmitting mechanism 28 while the trenching unit is operating, and this mechanism is normally diven by the`motor 31 and also drives the trenching rotor through the pinions 23 and ring gears 11 when the machine is functioning to dig a trench. As previously indicated the successive revolving buckets 12 are inwardly open and they are also open at their forward or leading ends while the opposite end of each bucket may be provided with a series of inwardly and rearwardly inclined bars 74, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. Although most of the material removed during trenching operation, falls by gravity through the lower open sides of the uppermost buckets 12 of the series, onto the conveyor belt 72 and is delivered thereby laterally of the path of advancement of the machine, some sticky or compacted earth and rocks or other abnormal substances tend to become lodged of these levers are connected to the rear extremities ofthe steadying cables 17 vthe front ends of which are adjustably secured to the upper portion of the carriage 15 by screw ttings 96, see Fig. 4. The rear extremities of the levers 94 are connected by helical springs 97 with -lower portions of the plates 93 so that after the cables have been initially properly tensioned with the aid of the fittings 96, the springs will swing the levers 94 about their pivot pins 95 and will thereby maintain the cables 17 relatively taut by eliminating excessive sag therein whenever the frame 16 is swung upwandly about its pivots 42 because of engagement with the bottom of the trench or other obstruction. The rear extremity of the rotor suspension frame 16 may also be provided with a crumber 98 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and which insures formation of a clean trench bottom and side portions as the unit advances.

When the various parts of the improved trenching machine have been properly constructed, assembled and adjusted as hereinabove described, the unit may be utilized to rapidly dig trenches 100, such as shown in Fig. 4, of any desired length and depth and can be controlled by a single operator stationed on the machine. The trenching speed may be readily varied by controlling the rate of travel of the propelling vehicle, and the depth of the cut may be altered by actuating the hydraulic ram mounted upon the mast assemblage so as to raise or lower the carriage 15, the cantilever frame 16 and the bucket wheel while the masts 13 are in approximately upright position. During such trenching operation,l the bucket wheel may be operated at any desired speed by any suitable transmission means in response to control levers 33 to cause the successive buckets 12 to revolve in a counter-clockwise direction as Viewed in Fig. 4, and to remove and carry the earth and to eventually deposit their loads upon the conveyor 21 which delivers the removed material onto the ground along one side of the trench 100.

If it becomes desirable to withdraw the bucket wheel and to transport the machine to another locality, the

hydraulic ram carried by the mast assemblyv should rst be actuated to elevate the carriage as far as possible along the masts 13, and to thereafter actuate the other ram carried by the A-frame 34 so as to swing the mast assembly forwardly as illustrated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 4 and in solid lines in Fig. 1. The bucket wheel will `then be raised clear of the ground surface and the unit may be advanced without obstruction, and the two rams may be readily operated to swing the wheel suspension masts 13 in either direction about the pivots 36 and to raise or lower the bucket wheel relative to these masts, with the aid of the control levers 37 mounted upon the tractor within easy reachof the operator while stationed on the seat 38. Reverse operation of these double acting rams after the bucket wheel has been raised, will obviously cause the various elements to be returned to active trenching position.

The provision of the two powerful hydraulic rams cooperating with a tiltable mast assemblage having a cantilever frame 16 supporting a series of trenching buckets 12 and which is swingably suspended from a carriage 15 adjustable along the masts 13, makes it possible to accurately form trenches 100 of the desired depth and rapidly remove the trenching elements for roading purposes. The use of the llexible cables 28 electively supports the free end of the cantilever frame 16 while the lever 94 and the springs 97 positively prevent undesirable sagging of these cables whenever the frame 16 is being swung upwardly. The rigid interconnection of the sprockets 53 which are movable by the ram plunger and coact with the chains 55, by means of a sturdy sleeve 54, serves to effectively absorb and to equalize side thrust acting upon the lower buckets 12 of the rigid rotor; and the coaction of the guide wheel ilanges 70 with the inner side surfaces of the ring gears 11 in close proximity to the pitch line 71 of the ring gear teeth provide a most effective anti-friction mounting for the bucket wheel.

From the foregoing detailed description it should be apparent that the present invention in fact provides various improvements in the construction and functioning of power driven trenching machines, whereby a compact and sturdy unit of maximum capacity and which is ilexible in its adaptations results. The improved trencher is safely operable with minimum power consumption to produce trenches 160 at diverse speeds and of any desired depth in soil of diterent kinds, and requires the services of a single operator to transport the unit from place to place and to control the various trenching operations. The improved mechanism has proven highly satisfactory and successful in actual use and may be provided with replaceable buckets 12 of various types for producing trenches 100 of different widths.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction and operation of the trenching machine herein specifically shown and described, for various modifications within the scope of the appended claims may occur to persons skilled in the art. t

We claim:

l. In a trenching machine, a vehicle, a rotary excavating wheel located near an end of said vehicle, an elongated mast assembly swingably associated with the adjacent vehicle end, a carriage movable along said mast assembly, a cantilever supporting frame for said wheel swingably attached to said carriage, a hydraulic power unit for moving said carriage along said mast assembly, and another hydraulic power unit for swinging said mast assembly forwardly and rearwardly to eect further movements of said carriage and its excavating wheel.

2. In a trenching machine, a vehicle, a rigid rotary excavating wheel located near an end of said vehicle, an elongated upstanding mast assembly pivotally mounted upon the adjacent vehicle end, a carriage reciprocable along said mast assembly, a cantilever frame pivotally "6 suspended from said carriage and rotatably supportingsaid wheel, a hydraulic hoist mounted on said mast as` sembly for reciprocating said carriage to adjust the position of said excavator wheel, and another hydraulic hoist interposed between said vehicle andsaid mast assemblyfor swinging said mast assembly forwardly and rear-l wardly to effect additional adjusting movements of said excavator wheel.

3. In a trenching machine, a vehicle, a rigid rotary excavating wheel located near an end of said vehicle, a mast assembly mounted on said vehicle, an elongated carriage movable along said mast assembly, a cantilever frame for supporting said wheel pivotallysuspended near one end portion of said carriage, tension means for con-n necting the swinging end of said frame with said carriage remote from the pivotal frame suspension, said means comprising a lever member mounted upon said frame and a flexible member' connectively interposed between said lever member and said carriage, and resilient means operatively interposed between said lever member and said frame for biasing said lever member to maintain said ilexible member taut during swinging of said wheel and frame relative to said carriage.

4. In a trenching machine, a vehicle, a rigid rotary excavating wheel located near an end of said vehicle, an elongated upstanding mast assembly mounted on said vehicle, an elongated carriage movable along said mast assembly, a cantilever frame rotatably supporting said wheel, a pivot swingably connecting said frame with the lower end portion of said carriage, a llexible cable connector for connecting the swinging end of said frame with the upper end portion of said carriage remote from said pivot, said connection including an interconnected cable portion and rigid link portion, said link portion being mounted upon said frame in fulcrumed relationship thereto, and a tension spring operatively interposed between said link portion and said frame and coacting therewith and with said cable to maintain the latter taut at all times during swinging of said wheel and frame relative to said carriage about said pivot.

5. In a trenching machine, a vehicle having a chassis, a rigid bucket wheel located rearwardly of said vehicle, a pair of laterally spaced upwardly directed parallel I-beam masts having their lower end portions pivotally attached to the rear of said vehicle chassis and being rmly united by lower and intermediate cross-beams, a slide movable along said masts and having thereon a pair of rigidly interconnected laterally separated rotary sprockets, a carriage slidable along said masts and having a suspension frame for said .bucket wheel pivotally attached thereto, a chain coacting at its medial portion with each of said sprockets and each having one end secured to said intermediate cross-beam while its opposite end is attached to said frame, and a power ram interposed between said lower crossbeam and said slide.

6. In a trenching machine, a vehicle having a chassis, a rigid bucket wheel located rearwardly of said vehicle, a pair of laterally spaced upwardly directed parallel I-beam masts having their lower end portions pivotally attached to the rear of said vehicle chassis and being firmly united by upper and lower and intermediate crossbeams, a slide movable along said masts and having thereon a pair of rigidly interconnected laterally separated rotary sprockets, a carriage slidable along said masts and having a suspension frame for said bucket wheel pivotally attached thereto, a chain coacting at its medial portion with each of said sprockets and each having one end secured to said intermediate cross-beam while its opposite end is attached to said trame, a power ram interposed between said lower cross-bearn and said slide, and another power ram interposed between said upper cross-beam and said vehicle chassis.

7. In a trenching machine, a vehicle having a chassis, a rigid bucket wheel located rearwardly of said vehicle, a pair of laterally spaced upwardly directed parallel I-beam masts having their lower end portions pivotally attached to Ythe rear of said vehicle chassis and being rmly united by lower and intermediate cross-beams, a slide movable along said masts and having thereon a pair of rigidly interconnected laterally separated rotary sprockets, a carriage slidable along said masts and having a cantilever suspension frame for said bucket Wheel pivotally attached to its lower end, ilexible cables connecting the upper end of said carriage with the swinging end of said cantilever frame, means for constantly maintaining said cables taut, chains coacting with said sprockets and having their opposite ends connected to said intermediate cross-beam and to said carriage respectively, and a power ram lcarried by said lower cross-beam and coacting with said beam and with said' slide to move theV latter along rsaid masts.v

References Cited'in the file of this patentV f y V UNITED STATES PATENTS 939,731A Miller Nov. 9, 1909 2,265,852v MCBean Dec. 9, 1941 2,280,004 Penote et al. Apr. 14, 1942 2,321,352 Askue June 8,V 1943 '2,329,659 Smith Sept. 14, 1943 2,451,315 Bennett Oct. 12, 1948 2,711,035 Pitts June 21, 1955 2,730,821 Fetzner Jan. 17, 1956

Images