US3098251A

US3098251A - Rodding machine

Info

Publication number: US3098251A
Application number: US151537A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jr William H Stewart
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-11-10
Filing date: 1961-11-10
Publication date: 1963-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-23

Description

y 1963 w. H. STEWART, JR 3,098,251

RODDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.|.

INVENTORZ WILLIAM H. STEWART,JR.

HIS ATTORNEY.

July 23, 1963 w. H. STEWART, JR

RODDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 10, 1961 INVENTOR: WILLIAM H. STEWART,JR. BY WMW-v HIS ATTORNEY.

July 23, 1963 w. H. STEWART, JR

RODDING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 10, 1961 FIG.6.

INVENTQR WILLIAM H.STEWART,JR. M

HIS ATTQRNEY.

United States Patent 3,098,251 RQDDTNG MAQHINE v Wiiiiam H. Stewart, In, 391 (Iherry Road, Syracuse, N311. Filed Nov. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 151,537 3 Claims. ((11. 1tl4.3)

This invention relates to and has as a general object a new and improved sewer rodding machine.

Sewer rodding machines are utilized by municipalities, public utilities and the like for cleaning underground conduits such as sanitary and storm sewers, wiring ducts, and the like. Such machines function to feed either sectional or one-piece rod through a conduit section, after which the front end of the rod is connected to a cable provided with a suitable cleanout or repair tool such as a cleanout bucket, a root auger, or the like, and the rod and cable with the tool are then pulled back through the conduit section. The tool is normally connected at both ends to cable so that the tool may be pulled back and forth through the conduit. Such machines presently being commercially used, utilize a cone-shaped basket, which is provided wtih a power drive to feed the rod in and out of the basket. The basket is utilized to maintain the rod which is of relatively thick cross-section in a coil within the basket, and to impant a rotative movement to the rod. A separate friction feed means is utilized to feed the rod forwardly and rearwardly into and out of the basket. A machine of this general type is shown and disclosed in Patent 2,594,256.

In such sewer rodding machines, such as shown in the above-mentioned patent, the rod utilized in the machine is of the sectional variety and the sections are connected together by couplers. As will be obvious, sectional rods of this type are weakest at the couplings between the sections, and it has been found in practice that such rods invariably break at the coupling point between the sections. In addition, a specialized feed is necessary with such sectional rods in order to accommodate the couplings, which normally are of a greater diameter than the rod sections. Accordingly, machines of the type shown in the patent are undesirable for a number of reasons. For example, the rod receiving the basket is large and cumbersome thus causing the rodding machine to be of unduly large size. In addition, the feed means for the rod has heretofore been of the frictional type and must have a relatively large feed force in order to overcome the resiliency of the rod and to prevent slippage. Finally, the sectional rod is undesirable for the reason above set forth.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved sewer rodding machine utilizing a one-piece sewer rod which may function to selectively impart a rotative movement to the sewer rod as it is being fed either in a forward or rearward direct-ion by selectively imparting a rotative movement in two substantially perpendicular planes to the mechanism in which the sewer rod is mounted or received.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved rod basket for a sewer rodding machine wherein the rod basket is provided with new and improved means for retaining the rod on [the basket regardless of the number of turns of rod received *on the basket.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide rod retaining means for a sewer rod basket with automatic tension means to maintain the coiled rod on the basket with the same degree of tension regardless of the number of turns or rod received on the basket.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describingthis invent-ion reference is had to the ac- "ice companying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a por tion of the rod basket.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary View of the rod retaining means for the basket.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view of the drive means for the machine taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a View taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 4.

The rodding machine comprising the preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a main chassis made up of structural side pieces 10 and 12, which are joined together at their opposite ends by

lower end members

14 and 16, (not shown) and upper end members '18 and 20, the

members

14 and 16 being suitably affixed to the members 10 and 12, as by welding, or the like. Upstanding rear and

front legs

21, 22, 23 and 24, respectively, are suitably aflixed to the side members it and 12, as by welding, and the upper end member 18 is suitably affixed to the

rear legs

21 and 22, as by welding, while the upper end member 26 is in like manner afiixed to the

front legs

23 and 24.

The main chassis is provided with an axle 26, which is afiixed in any suitable manner to the side members 10 and 12, and is provided on its outer end with ground wheels 23 and 39. Finally, the main chassis is provided with 3 structural members 3%), 3i and 32, which are affixed to the rear end and leg members $14, 21 and 22, respectively. The

members

39, 31 and 32 are joined together at their outer ends (not shown) and are provided with a trailer hitch, or the like, to permit the machine to be attached to a tow truck, or the like.

Top members

18 and 20 are each provided with e. pillow block bearing 36 and 38 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The reference numeral 40 indicates a basket or reel supporting frame made up of a pair of

square end plates

41 and 42, and are joined together at their corners by four rods, 43, 44, 45 and 4-6. The end plate 41 has a tubular stub shaft 48 aflixed thereto by any suitable means, and the shaft 48 is journaled in the bearing 36. The opposite end plate 42 is provided on its outer surface with a brake cylinder 50 for braking means (not shown) which has a sprocket 52 aflixed thereto by any suitable means. An arcuate shaped hollow feed-out tube 54 is afiixed to the end plate 42, brake cylinder 50* and sprocket 52 by any suitable means, and the outer end of the feedout tube 54 is journaled in the bearing '38 whereby the entire reel frame 49 is journaled for rotation in the machine chassis.

The drive means for the frame 40' comprises a hydraulic motor 6% which is provided with a drive sprocket 62 which is connected by an endless chain 64 to the reel frame drive sprocket 52 whereby the frame 40 may be rotated about a horizontal axis in the

bearings

36 and 38.

Affixed between the top and

bottom frame rods

45, 43, and 46 and 44- are a pair of

structural members

65 and 66 by any suitable means such as welding, or the like, one pair of which are shown in FIGURE 1. Afiixed between each pair of the

members

65 and 66 is a self-aligning bearing 68. As best seen in FIGURE 2, the location of the

members

65, 66, and bearings 68 along the side pairs of members '46, 44 and 45, 43' is staggered so that the shaft 70 received in the bearings 68' is angularly located with respect to the horizontal axis of the frame 10 for a reason to be hereinafter described.

The shaft 70 is the main shaft of the rod basket or reel which is comprised of a pair of hubs 72 and 73, see FIGURE 1, each connected by a plurality of radially extending channel-shaped spokes 74 to a pair of cylindrical rods 76. The spokes 74 are connected intermediate their ends by angle members 77 to a flat rim 78 extending around the entire portion of the reel, designated generally by the reference numeral 80. As will be obvious, the rim plate 78, together with the spokes 74 and the rods 76 comprise a rod receiving channel 32 around the outer periphery of reel 80, see FIGURE 3. As shown in that figure, a plurality of turns of endless sewer rod 04 are shown as being coiled on the basket 80.

The reel 80 is provided with means for retaining the coiled rod 84 in the channel 82 formed in the reel 80. Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, this means comprises a pair of

endless chains

86 and 88, which are connected together at a plurality of spaced apart points by cross straps 90. As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 6, the cross straps 90 are carried by a pair of angula'rly shaped fingers 92, which have their vertical leg connected to the roller of the

chains

86 and 88, between the

inner links

94 and 96 of the chain.

The horizontal leg of the member 92 is connected by means of a bolt and nut 93 to the strap 90 so that the end faces of the strap 90 abut the outer connecting links 99 of the

chains

86 and 88. As will be obvious, the square end faces of the straps 90 abutting the outer connecting links of the chains prevent the chains from becoming cocked, or out of step with each other.

The chains and cross straps, referred to as the rod retaining means, are received in the rod channel 82 of the basket 80 to maintain the coiled rod 84 in the channel 82, regardless of the number of turns of rod received in the channel 32. As best seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 5, the chains 83 and 88 pass out of the channel 82 of the reel 80 at the out-feed end of the machine and are trained over an upper idler wheel 100, and a lower idler wheel 102, and are entrained over a pair of drive sprockets 103, 105, one of which is shown in FIGURE 1. The

idler wheels

100 and 102 are each mounted on an arm 104, which is pivotally mounted on a bracket 106, carried by a cross piece (not shown) connected between the lower rods 43 and 44, and

upper rods

45 and 46 of the reel frame 40. The arms 104 have an adjusting arm 108 pivotally connected to the arm 104 intermediate its ends, and the outer end of the arms 108 are provided with a plurality of adjusting apertures 110 in order to permit the arms to be pinned in various positions of adjustment to the bracket 112. As will be obvious, this mounting of the

idler wheels

100 and 102, allows the position of the wheels to be adjusted so as to maintain the

rod retaining chains

86 and 88 in the reel 80 for a major portion of the circumference of the reel 80.

The drive sprockets 103, 105 are mounted on a cross shaft 114 received in bearings 116, aflixed to the outer ends of hell crank, or rocker anms 11a; and 120. The

arms

118 and 120 are mounted intermediate their ends on a cross shaft 121, which is received at its outer ends in a pair of self-aligning pillow-

block bearings

122 and 124, see FIGURE 2. The inner ends of the

arms

118 and 120 are connected by coiled tension springs 126, as best shown in FIGURE 1, to the members 66, connected between the

rods

43 and 45, and 44 and 46. This arrangement provides a self-adjusting tensioning means which will function to maintain the rod retaining chains and cross straps 90 in tight engagement against the rod 84 coiled on the basket 80 regardless of the number of turns of the rods 84 on the basket. That is, as the rod is being coiled on to the reel 80, increasing the diameter of the rod receiving channel 82, the

arms

118 and 120 will move slowly in a clockwise fashion, as viewed in FIGURE 1, thus adjusting the position of the drive sprockets 103, 105, carried on the outer ends of the

arms

118, 120. Conversely, as the rod is pulled off of the reel 80, the

arms

118 and 120, and drive sprockets 103, 105 will, un-

der the influence of the springs 126, move in a counterclockwise direction about the shaft 119, with the decrease in diameter of the rod receiving channel 82, and the reel 80.

The drive sprockets 103, mounted on the drive shaft 114 receive their power through a drive comprising sprocket afiixed on the outer end of shaft 114, endless chain 132, sprocket 134, atfixed to the shaft 119, sprocket 136 aifixed to the shaft 119, chain 138, and sprocket 140, afiixed to a main drive shaft 142.

The main drive shaft 142 is connected at its inner end to a speed reducer 144, and the opposite end of the shaft 142 is journaled in a self-aligning pillow-block bearing 146 mounted on an upstanding bracket affixed to the lower rod member 44 on the frame 40.

The speed reducer 144 is connected by a shaft 148, which passes the entire length of the reel frame 40, through a bracket 150 having a pair of hearings, in which the shaft 140 is journaled. A sprocket 152 is connected to the rearward end of the shaft 148 in the bracket 150, and the sprocket 152 is connected by a chain 154 to a sprocket 1'56 fixedly connected to the outer end of the shaft 158 of hydraulic motor 160. The pump motor shaft 158 passes through the tubular reel shaft 48, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, to provide the drive for the main drive shaft 142, as just described.

Referring to FIGURES 3 and 5, the reel 80 is also provided with a drive means. In FIGURE 3, the reel 30 is provided with a plurality of angular support members 162 having their inner leg mounted on the exterior of the spokes 74, and a cylindrical plate 164 is connected to the outer legs of the support members 162 by means of a bolt 166. The cylindrical plate 164 is provided with a plurality of angular members 168 connected to a drive chain 170 by the outer leg of the members 168. Each member 168 is connected to the chain 170 in a manner, generally similar to that shown in FIGURE 6, and the inner leg of the member 168 is connected to the bolt 166.

A drive sprocket 172 is mounted with its teeth in mesh with the chain 170, whereby the sprocket 172 will drive the chain 170, and in turn the reel 80. The sprocket 172 is fixedly mounted on the inner end of a stub shaft 174, the outer end of which is received in a self-aligning hearing 176 mounted on a plate 178 carried by a pair of angular structural members 130 mounted between the

reel frame rods

46 and 44. A sprocket 182 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 174 intermediate its ends, and the sprocket 182 is connected by a chain 184 to a sprocket 186, which is fixedly mounted on the main drive shaft 142.

Accordingly, it will be seen that driving power is imparted to the reel drive sprocket 172, and the rod tensioning means sprockets 104 by means of the main drive shaft 142.

The control system for the rodding machine includes a main control unit 190, which may consist of a pair of hydraulic valves (not shown) for operating the

motors

60 and 160 in both the forward and reverse direction, a hydraulic reservoir 192, a main drive motor 194 which may be of the gasoline combustion type, and a pair of hydraulic pumps 1% and .193 which are mounted in tandem on the main shaft of the motor 194. These units have been represented schematically in the drawings, and referring to FIGURE 2 it will be seen that the motors 196 and 193 are connected to the valves (not shown) in the main control unit by the

lines

200 and 201. Each of the valves in the unit 190 is connected by

lines

202 and 203, and 204 and 205 to the opposite sides of the

motors

60 and 160, respectively. Each of the

motors

60 and 160 is provided with

drain lines

206 and 207 which are connected to the reservoir 192. The reservoir 192 is connected by a main feed line 208 to the

pumps

196 and 198, and the control unit 190 is connected by a return line 210 to the reservoir 192. The valves in the control unit maybe provided with operating means (not shown) which function when actuated to change the connection between the

pumps

196 and 198 through

lines

200 and 201 through the control unit 190 from line 202 to line 203- and from line 204 to line 205, or vice versa, as the case may be, to reverse the drive of the motors '60 and 160, and a further control valve and suitable hydraulic connections (not shown) may be provided, together with a brake band (not shown) entrained around the brake face '50, so as to provide braking means for the reel frame 40. The control system is conventional, and permits selective forward rotation of both the reel frame 40* and the reel 80 in order to feed the rod '84- forwardly and rearwardly through the underground conduit, and to selectively impart a rotative movement to the rod. In general, it is desirable to impart a rotative movement to the rod as it is being fed forwardly through the conduit in order to aid the for-ward feed of the rod. When the the rod is being withdrawn from the conduit, however, it is generally not necessary to impart a rotati ve movement to the rod. Accordingly, the control system permits such selective operation.

As best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the rod 8 4- passes out of the rod channel 82 in the reel 80, and due to the angular disposition of the reel 80, the rod will pass under the

rod retaining chains

86 and 88, and cross straps 90, and into the arcuated feed-out tube 54, which rotates with the reel frame 40 so as to guide both the in and outfeed of the rod 84.

It will thus be apparent that by my invention, I have provided a new and improved sewer rodding machine which operates to feed one-piece rod either forwardly or rearwardly, and which will also impart a rotative movement to the rod, or not, as is desired. Further, the automatic tensioning means provided in my invention will serve to effectively maintain a coiled rod on a rod reel regardless of the number of turns of the rod on the reel.

What I claim is:

1. A sewer rodding machine comprising:

(a) a reel having a rim and a pair of side walls,

=(b) a rod coiled on said rim,

(c) means for rotating said reel forwardly and rearwardly in the direction of 'feed of said rod,

(d) said reel being mounted on a :frame elongated in the direction of feed of the rod and in a position 6 askew of the lengthwise axis of said trame to (facilitate the feeding of said rod, (e) said frame being mounted on a chassis for rotation about a longitudinal aXis of said frame substan- 5 tially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said reel, whereby to impart rotation to said rod during the feeding and retraction thereof,

(f) means for retaining said coiled rod on said reel rim including an endless belt arranged to rotate with said reel between the side walls thereof to hold said rod on said reel rim, said belt being in engagement with said rod for a major portion of the circumference of said reel rim,

(g) said endless belt being provided with tensioning means for automatically varying the tension on said belt in response to a variation in the amount of rod coiled on said reel rim.

2. The sewer rodding machine of claim 1 wherein said endless belt comprises:

(a) a pair of chains entrained over a pair of sprockets,

said chains being spaced apart a distance complemental to the distance between the side walls of said rail,

(b) and a plurality of cross links interconnected between said chains.

3. The sewer rodding machine of claim 1, wherein said tensioning means comprises:

(a) a rocker arm assembly having its middle portion References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Lamb Dec. 19, 1899 Seidel June 3, 1930 Wittel Jan. 9, 1934 Quick July 25, 1939 Humphreys Feb. 20, 1940 Wilson Feb. 28, 1950

Claims

1. A SEWER RODDING MACHINE COMPRISING: (A) A REEL HAVING A RIM AND A PAIR OF SIDE WALLS; (B) A ROD COILED ON SAID RIM, (E) MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID REEL FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY IN THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF SAID ROD, (D) SAID REEL BEING MOUNTED ON A FRAME ELONGATED IN THE DIRECTION OF FEED OF THE ROD AND IN A POSITION ASKEW OF THE LENGTHWISE AXIS OF SAID FRAME TO FACILITATE THE FEEDING OF SAID ROD, (E) SAID FRAME BEING MOUNTED ON A CHASSIS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FRAME SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID REEL WHEREBY TO IMPART ROTATION TO SAID ROD DURING THE FEEDING AND RETRACTION THEREOF, (F) MEANS FOR RETAINING SAID COILED ROD ON SAID REEL RIM INCLUDING AN ENDLESS BELT ARRANGED TO ROTATE WITH SAID REEL BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF TO HOLD SAID ROD ON SAID REEL RIM, SAID BELT BEING IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID RODZ FOR A MAJOR PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID REEL RIM, (G) SAID ENDLESS BELT BEING PROVIDED WITH TENSIONING MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY VARYING THE TENSION ON SAID BELT IN RESPONSE TO A VARIATION IN THE AMOUNT OF ROD COILED ON SAID REEL RIM.