US3226856A

US3226856A - Excavating machine with rotatable sub-frame

Info

Publication number: US3226856A
Application number: US231397A
Authority: US
Inventors: Vincent S Penote
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1962-10-18
Filing date: 1962-10-18
Publication date: 1966-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 1983-01-04

Description

Jan. 4, 1966 y. s. PENOTE 3,226,856

EXGAVATING MACHINE WITH ROTATABLE SUB-FRAME Filed Oct. 18, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR VINCENT S. PENOTE BY ATTORNEYS Jan. 4, 1966 v. s. PENOTE EXCAVATING MACHINE WITH ROTATABLE SUB-FRAME Filed Oct. 18. 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J ON 7 a 3:3 ,1 9&1 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,226,856 EXCAVATING MACHINE WITH ROTATABLE SUB-FRAME Vincent S. Penote, 18555 Parkland Drive, Shaker Heights, Ohio Filed Oct. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 231,397 3 Claims. (Cl. 37-97) This invention relates in general to excavating machines, and more particularly to a mobile excavating machine adapted for excavating trenches, and the like, and which may also be effectively utilized for other excavating purposes, such as the excavation of bank material, open pit mining, and the like.

Conventional excavating machines generally comprise a mobile frame which supports a prime mover or power unit on one end, and a boom or frametmounted digging unit on the other end, with the diggingunit and associated boom being generally adjustable in a vertically plane, to provide for varying the depth of the excavation. The digging unit and associated boom are generally positioned or so spaced with respect to the power unit to attempt to provide a generally balanced machine. In the co-pending United States patent application of Vincent 8. Penote, Serial No. 179,331, filed March 13, 1962, now Patent No. 3,157,956 there is disclosed a mobile excavating machine having a plurality of digging units mounted thereon, with one of the digging units being disposed at the forward end of a machine chassis, and another digging unit being disposed at the rearward end of the machine chassis, resulting in a machine achieving a material increase in digging capacity, and resulting in more equal distribution of the machines weight over the endless treads or other traction means supporting the machine chassis for movement on theground.

The present invention broadly provides a machine wherein the position of the digging unit with respect to the traction mechanism in a horizontal direction may be selectively changed, and as illustrated, a machine of the same generally type aforedescribed in connection with said patent application, Serial No. 179,331, but with the addition of means providing for rotation of the structure which supports the plurality of digging units, about a generally vertical axis, so that such digging units may be rotated preferably 360 about a vertical axis, and with respect to the traction mechanism of the machine, thereby materially increasing the useability and the adaptability of the machine for different excavating conditions, and for diflerent excavating problems.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel excavating machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel mobile excavating machine having a plurality of digging units supported thereon, and including means for rotating said digging units about a generally vertical axis, and with respect to the chassis of the excavating machine.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a mobile excavating machine embodying a plurality of spaced, simultaneously operable, bucket equipped digging units and a discharging mechanism associated with each of the digging units for discharge of the excavated material, and with such digging units and associated discharge mechanism being mounted on a framework which is adapted for rotation about a generally vertical axis on the machine chassis, so that the digging units can be disposed at any selected angular relationship with respect to the longitudinal vertical center plane of the machine chassis, resulting in an excavating machine which has much greater useability and adaptability for varied excavating operations.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be "ice apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a mobile excavating machine embodying the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a more or less diagrammatic, top plan view of the excavating machine illustrated in FIG. 1, but showing the digging units and associated discharge mechanisms therefore being rotated 90 with respect to the traction mechanism of the machine, so as to dispose the digging units laterally of the machine chassis;

FIG. 3 is a generally diagrammatic, plan view of the power system of the machine, for driving the machine and for operating various working components of the machine.

Referring now again to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, there is illustrated an excavating machine embodying the instant invention. Such an excavating or trenching machine broadly comprises a main chassis frame 10, supported on suitable traction mechanism, such as for instance the endless tractor treads 12. A sub-frame 14 is mounted for rotation on the main chassis frame 10 and about a generally vertical axis, and a main power plant or internal combustion engine 15 may be supported on the sub-frame 14. Mast structures 16, 16a may be provided on each end of the sub-frame, and supporting a respective boom frame 18, 18a, which in turn rotatably supports a respective endless, bucket equipped

digging unit

20, 20a.

Each of the digging units may be movably supported on its boom structure in the conventional manner, and as for instance by a plurality of transversely paired rollers 22, one pair of which may be supported by a depending frame structure 24 projecting downwardly from the underside of the respective boom.

Each boom frame may be pivoted as at 28 to the respective mast structure on the machine sub-frame for movement in a generally vertical plane, and which provides for varying the depth of excavation of the respective digging unit, as for instance as is shown in dotdash likes in FIG. 1. The pivoting of the respective boomb frame in said generally vertical plane, and with respect to the respective mast structure may be accomplished by means of a double acting, fluid powered, reciprocal motor unit or units 30, pivotally coupled as at 32 to the mast structure, and pivotally attached as at 34 to cross member 35 of the respective boom frame. Application of pressurized fluid to the motor units 30 will cause adjustment of the position of the respective boom frame and its associated digging unit in a generally vertical plane. Such fluid powered motor units may be effectively used to crowd the respective digging unit into biting contact with the material being excavated, which is an advantage especially when digging in hard material, such as for instance shale or coral. As best illuse trated in FIG. 2, each of the digging units are preferrably of a greater width than the width of the traction mechanism 12.

Each digging unit may have a transversely extending discharge conveyor mechanism 40, a projecting therethrough, for receiving the dug material from the buckets of the digging unit and discharging such excavated material to areas disposed laterally of the respective digging unit, such as for instance into automotive trucks moving along with the machine, or the excavated material might be discharged right onto the ground area along the excavation being dug.

Each conveyor mechanism may comprise an inner section 43 having a pair of drums at each end thereof and about which is looped an endless conveyor belt, with the inner section being supported by the respective boom frame, and an outer section 45 of'considerably length, pivoted to the respective boom frame for angular movement in a generally vertical plane, thereby providing for adjusting the height of the discharging end of the outer section 45 with respect to ground level. There also may be provided a jib 47 pivoted as :at 47a to the respective mast structure for angular movement, and adapted for supporting the respective outer discharge conveyor section with respect to ground level.

In accordance With the instant invention, the sub-frame 14 is mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis, as for instance by means of pedestal 50 (FIG. 1) secured to the sub-frame and rotatable with respect to the traction mechanism of the machine. Depending brackets and rollers 52 may be provided on the underside of the subframe coacting with a track 54 on the main chassis frame, for supporting and stabilizing the sub-frame for rotation with respect to the traction mechanism. Any suitable means may be utilized for driving the sub-frame in its rotative movement as, for instance, by a gear 56 fixed to the main frame concentrically about the axis of rotation of the sub-frame, and coacting with a worm element 58 driven by a preferably reversible, rotary, fluid powered motor unit 59 carried by the sub-frame. As shown in FIG. 2, when the sub-frame 14 is rotated 96 with respect to the traction mechanism 12, the digging units are disposed laterally of the machine chassis. Upon movement of the machine in the direction of the arrow, the digging units may be simultaneously driven to excavate into the respective earth banks X and Y at two different levels, corresponding in general to the levels of excavation illustrated in FIG. 1. It will be understood that the machine illustrated possesses good balance with the prime mover and associated power transfer mechanism 60 etc. being disposed substantially centrally intermediate the digging units 26, 26a.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is diagrammatically illustrated a power train system for respectively driving the traction mechanism of the excavating machine, for power ing the reciprocal motor units which swing the boom frames of the excavated machine in a generally vertical plane, for driving the conveyors 40, 48a which extend through each of the digging units, and for driving the fluid powered motor unit 59 which may be utilized for rotating the sub-frame 14 with respect to the machine traction mechanism 12.

The internal cciinbustion engine or prime mover 15 may be connected to a conventional geared transmission 6G having conventional power take-offs 6%, 60b respectively. Transmission 69 also drives the jack shafts 61 and 62 rotatably mounted on hearing means, and by, for instance, the chain sprocket drives 61a and 62a. Mounted on jack shaft 61 is a conventional machine operator controlled clutch mechanism 64, which when in clutching relation, drives universal 66 and differential 68, the latter being mounted on the boom frame 18 as best shown in FIG. 1. Differential 68 is operably coupled with digging unit drive shaft 76 via the associated chain and sprocket drive 70a, and in the conventional manner drives the diggging wheel 20. The other digging unit Ztla may be driven in like manner from its associated drive shaft 70' driven by chain and sprocket drive 70a, differential 68, universal 66, clutch mechanism 64', universal joint '74, and shaft 62 driven via the aforementioned chain and sprocket drive 62a from the transmission 66.

The power take-off 60b may provide power to a fluid pump 76, which may be of conventional variable volume output type, which pump is adapted to provide the necessary fluid pressure for propulsion of the crawler tracks of the vehicle. For purposes of convenient illustration only, the pump 76 is shown as being spaced from the power take-off 6%, but in actual practice it will preferably be fastened to close or abutting proximity to the power take-off for a driven connection. The pressurized fluid from the pump 76 goes via line 78 to a flow divider 80 of any suitable type. The pressurized fluid such as oil would then proceed from the flow divider 80 via lines 82 and 84 to an associated conventional control valve 86 or 83 in the respective line 82 or 84, each of which control valves controls an associated high speed conventional, reversible rotary, fluid powered

motor unit

90 and 92 which operate associated

speed reducers

94, 96 which are operably coupled to the associated traction mechanism of the machine chassis, thus controlling the speed and the direction of movement of the machine.

The fluid pump 1% which is also shown in FIG. 3, as being spaced from the power take-off 60a, and which in practice would be fastened in close proximity to the power takeoff for direct connection thereto, is preferably a conventional two-stage pump having a constant volume output. The pressurized fluid from each stage of pump 1% goes respectively via flow lines 100a and 10th) to control valve 162 and control valve 164. Each of the conveyor sections d3, 45 of each conveyor mechanism has at least one of its belt supporting drums driven by preferably reversible fluid powered rotary motor unit 166, 106a, 13-64. Such rotary motor units for each conveyor mechanism 40 are preferably coupled in series and are preferably furnished additional actuating fluid from another variable volume, fluid pump 1.08 or 110, which latter pumps are preferably driven by power drives from jack shaft 62. Pressurized fluid from these auxiliary pumps 1%, 11%) joins up at the respective aforementioned valve TM or 102, with the pressurized fluid from pump 16%. The pressurized fluid leaving valve 104 drives conveyor motors 166 and liifia in series, and the pressurized fluid leaving valve 192 drives conveyor motors 196 and 136a, in series. As aforementioned, the motors are preferably reversible, and therefore the conveyor sections may be driven in either lengthwise direction.

A further constant volume fluid pump 114 may be driven from jack shaft 62, and which will supply the pressurized fluid to the aforementioned digging boom actuating cylinders 3%, via the control valves 116 and 118 respectively. Pump 12%, which may also be of the constant volume type and which may likewise be driven from shaft 62. may supply fluid to control valve 122 controlling aforementioned rotary motor unit 59.

From the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawings it will be seen that the invention provides a novel excavating machine having an endless, bucket equipped digging unit mounted thereon, and wherein the digging unit and associated discharge mechanism may be rotated about a generally vertical axis, with respect to the traction mechanism of the machine, for providing for selective positioning of the digging unit in a horizontal direction with respect to the machine chassis, which results in an excavating machine having much greater excavating capability and adaptability, as compared to conventional excavating machines.

Th terms and expressions which have been used are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of any of the features shown or described, or portions thereof, and it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

1 claim:

1. In a mobile excavating machine comprising a chassis, traction mechanism supporting said chassis for lengthwise movement along the ground, means for selectively driving said traction mechanism in both a lengthwise forward and lengthwise rearward direction, a sub-frame operably mounted on said chassis for rotation about a generaliy vertical axis, an endless digging unit including a plurality of excavating buckets oriented about the outer periphery of the digging unit, means projecting generally longitudinally outwardly from said sub-frame adjacent one end of said chassis and movably supporting said digging unit thereon adjacent said one end of the chassi for excavating in a generally vertical plane substantially coplanar with the longitudinal vertica] center plane of said chassis, powered means coacting between said longitudinally projecting means and said sub-frame providing for selective positioning of said digging unit in generally vertical directions and with respect to the traction mechanism, for varying the depth of excavation of the digging unit, another means projecting generally longitudinally outwardly from said sub-frame adjacent the other end of said chassis and another endless digging unit including a plurality of excavating buckets oriented about the outer periphery of said other digging unit, said other digging unit being movably mounted on the last mentioned longitudinally projecting means generally adjacent said other end of said chassis for excavating in a generally vertical plane substantially co-planar with the longitudinal vertical center plane of said chassis, other powered means coacting between said other longitudinally projecting means and said sub-frame for selectively positioning said other digging unit in generally vertical directions and with respect to the traction mechanism for varying the depth of excavation of said other digging unit, whereby said other digging unit may be positioned to dig at a shallower depth than the first mentioned digging unit when said chassis is moving in a forward direction, means for simultaneously driving said digging units in a common direction to cause coincident excavating thereby, discharge conveyor means for receiving excavated material from each digging unit and discharging it to a side thereof, and power means for rotating said sub-frame about said generally vertical axis and with respect to said traction mechanism, and through a suflicient range so that the first mentioned digging unit may be disposed adjacent said other end of said chassis for excavating operations and the second mentioned digging unit may be disposed adjacent said one end of said chassis for excavating operations without turning said machine around, and whereinjsaid digging units may also be positioned laterally of the machine chassis for excavating operations in vertical planes disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal vertical center plane of said chassis and at diilerent elevations with respect to one another.

2. In a mobile excavating machine comprising, a chassis, endless tractor treads supporting said chassis for lengthwise movement along the ground, power means for selectively driving said tractor treads in both a lengthwise forward direction and a lengthwise rearward direction, a sub-frame operably mounted on said chassis for rotation about a generally vertical axis, an endless rotary digging unit including a plurality of excavating buckets oriented about the outer periphery of the digging unit, a boom frame pivotally mounted on said sub-frame for pivotal movement in a generally vertical plane and projecting generally horizontally outwardly from the rearward end of said chassis, said boom frame movably supporting said digging unit thereon adjacent the rearward end of said chassis for excavating in a generally vertical plane substantially co-planar with the longitudinal vertical center plane of said chassis, reciprocal power means coacting between said boom frame and said sub-frame and providing for selective positioning of said digging unit in a generally vertical plane and with respect to the traction mechanism for varying the depth of excavation of the digging unit, another boom frame pivoted to said subframe and projecting generally horizontally outwardly from the forward end of said chassis and another endless rotary digging unit including a plurality of excavating buckets oriented about the outer periphery of said other digging unit, said other digging unit being movably supported on said other boom frame adjacent the forward end of said chassis, reciprocal power means coacting between said other boom frame and said sub-frame for selectively positioning said other digging unit in a generally vertical plane with respect to the traction mechanism, for varying the depth of excavation of said other digging unit, the pivotal connection of said other boom frame to said sub-frame being disposed at a higher elevation than the pivotal connection of said first mentioned boom frame to the sub-frame whereby said other digging unit is positioned to dig at a shallower depth than the first mentioned digging unit during forward excavating movement of the machine, means on said sub-frame coacting with said digging units for simultaneously driving said digging units in a common direction to cause coincident excavating thereby, discharge conveyor means for receiving excavated material from each digging unit and discharging it to a side thereof, and power means for selectively rotating said sub-frame with respect to said traction mechanism about said generally vertical axis and through a range of 360, whereby the first mentioned digging unit may be disposed adjacent said forward end of said chassis and the second mentioned digging unit may be disposed adjacent the rearward end of said chassis for excavating operations without turning said machine around, and wherein said digging units may also be positioned laterally of the machine chassis for excavating operations in vertical planes disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal vertical center plane of said chassis and at different elevations with respect to one another.

3. A mobile excavating machine in accordance with claim 2, wherein said sub-frame is operably mounted for rotation about said generally vertical axis by depending roller means on said sub-frame and track means on said chassis receiving in coacting relation said roller means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,221 8/1919 Jackson 37192 X 1,455,206 5/ 1923 Howe 37-97 2,622,351 12/ 1952 Walters. 2,705,626 4/ 1955 Ball 299-64 2,771,958 11/1956 Ball. 2,894,341 7/ 1959 Amthor. 2,912,232 11/1959 Lewis. 2,966,752 1/1961 Wampach 371 16 3,032,956 5/ 1962 Mullet. 3,032,994 5/1962 Lindell. 3,043,035 7/1962 Fogelberg. 3,091,874 6/1963 Wuigk 37190 3,102,349 9/1963 Thomson 3792 3,157,956 11/1964 Penote 3797 FOREIGN PATENTS 137,545 6/ 1950 Australia.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

MILTON KAUFMAN, BENJAMIN HERSH,

, Examiners.

Claims

1. IN A MOBILE EXCAVATING MACHINE COMPRISING A CHASSIS, TRACTION MECHANISM SUPPORTING SAID CHASSIS FOR LENGTHWISE MOVEMENT ALONG THE GROUND, MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY DRIVING SAID TRACTION MECHANISM IN BOTH A LENGTHWISE FORWARD AND LENGTHWISE REARWARD DIRECTION, A SUB-FRAME OPERABLY MOUNTED ON SAID CHASSIS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS, AN ENDLESS DIGGING UNIT INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF EXCAVATING BUCKETS ORIENTED ABOUT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE DIGGING UNIT, MEANS PROJECTING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SUB-FRAME ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID CHASSIS AND MOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID DIGGING UNIT THEREON ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF THE CHASSIS FOR EXCAVATING IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH THE LONGITUDINAL VERTICAL CENTER PLANE OF SIAD CHASSIS, POWERED MEANS COACTING BETWEEN SAID LONGITUDINALLY PROJECTING MEANS AND SAID SUB-FRAME PROVIDING FOR SELECTIVE POSITIONING OF SAID DIGGING UNIT IN GENERALLY VERTICAL DIRECTIONS AND WITH RESPECT TO THE TRACTION MECHANISM, FOR VARYING THE DEPTH OF EXCAVATION OF THE DIGGING UNIT, ANOTHER MEANS PROJECTING GENERALLY LONGITUDINALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SUB-FRAME ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF SAID CHASSIS AND ANOTHER ENDLESS DIGGING UNIT INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF EXCAVATING BUCKETS ORIENTED ABOUT THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID OTHER DIGGING UNIT, SAID OTHER DIGGING UNIT BEING MOVABLE MOUNTED ON THE LAST MENTIONED LONGITUDINALLY PROJECTING MEANS GENERALLY ADJACENT SAID OTHER END OF SAID CHASSIS FOR EXCAVATING IN A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY CO-PLANAR WITH THE LONGITUDINAL VERTICAL CENTER PLANE OF SAID CHASSIS, OTHER POWERED MEANS COACTING BETWEEN SAID OTHER LONGITUDINALLY PROJECTING MEANS AND SAID SUB-FRAME FOR SELECTIVELY POSITIONING SAID OTHER DIGGING UNIT IN GENERALLY VERTICAL DIRECTIONS AND WITH RESPECT TO THE TRACTION MECHANISM FOR VARYING THE DEPTH OF EXCAVATION OF SAID OTHER DIGGING UNIT, WHEREBY SAID OTHER DIGGING UNIT MAY BE POSITIONED TO DIG AT A SHALLOWER DEPTH THAN THE FIRST MENTIONED DIGGING UNIT WHEN SAID CHASSIS IS MOVING IN A FORWARD DIRECTION, MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY DRIVING SAID DIGGING UNITS IN A COMMON DIRECTION TO CAUSE COINCIDENT EXCAVATING THEREBY, DISCHARGE CONVEYOR MEANS FOR RECEIVING EXCAVATED MATERIAL FROM EACH DIGGING UNIT AND DISCHARGING IT TO A SIDE THEREOF, AND POWER MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SUB-FRAME ABOUT SAID GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS AND WITH THE RESPECT TO SAID TRACTION MECHANISM, AND THROUGH A SUFFICIENT RANGE SO THAT THE FIRST MENTIONED DIGGING UNIT MAY BE DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID OTHER END OF SAID CHASSIS FOR EXCAVATING OPERATIONS AND THE SECOND MENTIONED DIGGING UNIT MAY BE DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID ONE END OF SAID CHASSIS FOR EXCAVATING OPERATIONS WITHOUT TURNING SAID MACHINE AROUND, AND WHEREIN AID DIGGING UNITS MAY ALSO BE POSITIONED LATERALLY OF THE MACHINE CHASSIS FOR EXCAVATING OPERATIONS IN VERTICAL PLANES DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL VERTICAL CENTER PLANE OF SAID CHASSIS AND AT DIFFERENT ELEVATIONS WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER.