US3001458A

US3001458A - Compactors and the like

Info

Publication number: US3001458A
Application number: US694236A
Authority: US
Inventors: Croucher Antony Harry
Original assignee: COMPACTORS ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: COMPACTORS ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 1956-11-09
Filing date: 1957-11-04
Publication date: 1961-09-26
Anticipated expiration: 1978-09-26

Description

Sept. 26, 1961 A. H. CROUCHER COMPACTORS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1957 ANTa/Yr H (Faun/ 5a Wrne z Sept. 26, 1961 A. H. CROUCHER 'COMPACTORS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 4, 1957 ArrTmvy H. Rood/Er? War/7y Sept. 26, 1961 A. H. CROUCHER COMPACTORS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 4, 1957 A y H (Rot/CHER rn x United States Patent 3,001,458 COMPACTORS AND THE LIKE Antony Harry 'Croucher, Esher, England, assignor to Compactors Engineering Limited, London, England Filed Nov. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 694,236 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 9, 1956 1 Claim. (CI. 94-48) This invention relates -to compactors for compacting soil and various forms of aggregate.

One form of compactor described in our British Patent No. 730,592 comprises compacting means, a framework rigidly secured thereto, a prime mover spring-mounted on the frame for movement in the up and down direction in relation to the framework and a paired eccentric weight arrangement mounted in the framework and driven from the prime mover to provide a reciprocating force.

-In the compactor claimed in our previous patent the paired eccentric Weight arrangement was pivotally mounted in the frame for rigidly securing at any one of a plurality of positions.

By this means the direction of the reciprocating force could be inclined to the vertical to make the compactor self-propelling in either direction.

The adjustment, however, could only be effected when the compactor was not in use.

The present invention consists of a compactor of the form described, comprising means for continuous adjustment of the direction of the reciprocating force while the compactor is in use.

Thus the compactor can be held stationary, moved forward or moved backwards while it is in use.

This considerably facilitates the handling of the compactor during a diflicult compacting operation, for example, in a confined space.

Conveniently, the arrangement for continuously adjusting the direction of the reciprocating force comprises a pivoted handle member geared to the paired eccentric weight arrangement over a step-up gear arrangement whereby a relatively small angular movement of the handle member will be sufiicient to control the compactor over the desired range of maximum forward to maximum backward rate of movement.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a compactor according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation in partial section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a reverse side detail showing the weight box drive.

FIGURE 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 showing the weight box control drive.

In the drawings the prime mover 1 mounted on the base plate 2 drives a pulley 3. Driving belt 4 extends over pulley 3, jockey pulley 5 and pulley 6 whereby pulley 6 is driven. Pulley 6, which is mounted on shaft 7 over ball bearings 7a carries a gear wheel 6a which drives a gear wheel 8a.

Gear wheel 8a is coupled to and drives eccentric, D-shaped weight 8 which is mounted at its ends in roller bearings 8c.

Eccentric weight 8 carries a further gear wheel 8b which drives a corresponding gear wheel 9a on eccentric D-shaped weight 9 mounted on roller bearings 9b with its axis parallel to weight 8.

Weight 9 is thus driven in the reverse direction to weight 8.

The

weights

8 and 9 are thus rotatably mounted in a box 10 to form an arrangement which is supported so that it can be rotated bodily.

"ice

Thus right-hand end plate of box 10 carries a closing plate 10b which carries a large sprocket 10a fixedly secured thereto.

" Fitting around part of the circumference of this sprocket is a roller chain 11.

' Another part of the roller chain 11 which is a continuous loop is held on a fixed outer arc concentric with the sprocket by means of an abutment member 12.

At the centre of this outer arc the chain 11 is secured to a radius arm 13a fixed to a handle member 13 which is mounted to pivot on an axis common with the pivotal axis of the box 10. The handle is supported for rotation in side plates 14 the right-hand one of which in FIGURE 2 carries the arched member 12 bolted thereto and also carries a pair of sprockets 15 bolted thereto which engage in the ends of the loop of chain 11. The left-hand plate 14 carries the shaft 7.

Side plates 14 are welded to a compactor member 16 and are separated at the ends by

plates

17 and 18. Side plates 14 also have apertures 14a at the ends through which carrying bars of a pick-up trolley may be inserted.

The remainder of the construction is substantially the same as in our British patent mentioned. Thus plate 2 is suspended by the spring assemblies 19 on the frame 20 and frame 20 is supported on the compactor member 16.

-In operation the paired eccentric weight arrangement provides a reciprocating force in a plane. If the plane is vertical the compactor stands still; if the plane is inclined to the vertical while the downward force effects compacting the upward and sideways force will tend to move the compactor a short step sideways by lifting it and depositing it to one side of its previous position at each reciprocation. Thus the compactor is moved forward or backward depending on which side of the vertical the plane of reciprocation is inclined.

The box 10 is supported for rotation on arcuate supports 21 on the compactor member 16.

If the handle 13 is rotated through, say, 45 then the fixed point of the chain 11 will have moved round on the outer arc of member 12 which has a radius about 2 /2 times that of the sprocket 10a. Thhe sprocket 10a will therefore have moved round by about 2 /2 times 45 say 110" rotating plate 10b to which it is attached and hence the box 10.

Thus for a movement of the direction of the reciprocating force produced by the

counter rotating weights

8 and 9 from, say, 45 to the vertical in the forward direction to 45 to the vertical in the reverse direction, a movement of only about 36 of the handle 13 is required.

If the handle is swung over to the other side, i.e. a movement of under 90 in the direction of reciprocation is turned through 180 so that the operation of the compactor can be controlled with the handle on either side.

Various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

A compactor comprising compactor means, a framework rigidly secured thereto, a prime mover spring mounted on the framework for movement in the up and down direction in relation to the framework, a casing v rotatably mounted in the framework, a pair of eccentric weights mounted on parallel axes in the casing and coupled to be rotated by the prime mover to provide a reciprocating force and means mounted in the framework for rotating the casing to change the direction of the reciprocating force, said means comprising a reversible guiding and control handle for the compactor pivotally secured to the framework for rotation about an axis transversely thereof, a fixed sprocket mounted on one end of the casing, an arc member of larger radius than the fixed sprocket mounted on the framework concentric with the handle, a pair of rotatable sprockets mounted on the framework at the. ends of the arc member, a roller chain passing around the are member, the rotatable sprockets and the fixed sprocket and a member mounted to rotate witht the handle and fixedto the chain wherevit passes over the-arc member whereby-a small,-. angular movementv of the handle in one direction of rotation from a position on -oneflsid'e of the eornpaetorz efieets alarge angular displacement of the direction of the reciproeatingforce-fromf the:- vertical: in-v one direction and-.asmall angularimovement oh the: handle in the other direction of rotation- 0 efiects a largedisplacement of the direction of the reciprocating force,-,,fmrngthe-verticabin the otherv direction andsdisplacement ofathehandle from oneside of the/com- 4V pactor to the other turns the direction of the reciprocating force through 180 whereby the compactor may be controlled for self-propelled forward and backward movement with the handle on either side.

References-ited ink the-fife of: this? patent UNITED S FA FES BATENIS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTIQN Patent No. 3,001,458 September 26, 1961 Anftony Harry Croucher It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

In the grant,

lines

1, 2 and 3, for "Antony Harry Croncher, 0i Esher, England, assignor to Compactors Engineering Limited, of London, England," read Antony Harry Croucher, of Esher, England, assignor of one-half to Compactors Engineering Limited, of London, England line 12 for Compactors Engineering Limited, its successors" read Antony Harry Croncher, his heirs or assigns, and Compactors Engineering Limited, its successors in the heading to the printed specification, Iines 3 and A, for "Antony Harry Croucher, Esner, England, assignor to Compactors Engineering Limited, London, England read Antony Harry Croucher, Esher, England, assignor of onehalf to Compactors Engineering Limited, London, England Signed and sealed this 10th day of April 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W SWIDER DAVID A D I Attesting Officer Commissioner of Pete