US941145A - Ditching-machine. - Google Patents

Description

J. B. HILL. DITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1908.

n im www qw m. 3% m wNwN y@ d] t N d m N J w, mf %\1\ n t. N, k" Y Q NQ m. Nw f .Q N mw wk Y f m `.I/ 1, A, f ihk J. B. HILL. DITGHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 17, 1908. 941, 145,l Patented Nov. 23. 1909.

3 SEFITS-.SHEET 3.

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`r`rear..e1 1d ,uponr long-broad traction aprons,

STATES PATENT oE-E1QE f JAMES B. HILL, OF FINDLAY, OHIO.

ppiimion inea .my 17, 190s, seria1N0.444,o15.

I .a .r t fr.; maresme-MACHINE.

941,145.. Specicationpf Letters Patent. i Patented i `nTooll `.'whmn' it may concern:

Beit known thatl, JAMESB. HILL, a citizen oftl1e, Uni ted States, residing at Findlay, inthe'fcounty oli-,Hancock and State of vv ()hio ,have. invented a new and useful Ditch.-

ingl\ 4ac hi1 1e,',ofwhich the followingv is a spfecitication. j. 1 g .-5 This invention has referencev to' improvements-in ditching-machines, and its object is 4 to .y produce 1 a self-'propelling ditching machine, capable of operation particularly on Soft n.1a1sh-yaround.-.k l f 4The,invention comprises a suitable .carrier ornveliiclemounted at the forward end and'adjacent-.to the aprons the carrier supports ya ditching1 lhaving about its periphery number-ofjbuckets which are part solid, andpart basket-,so asto adapt them to eX- cavate in wet ground and remove dirt'whileallow-ingthe water to drain away. In connection with .theexcavating wheel there 1s provided a conveyer upon which vthe buckets dump',

anilmhich will transport the excavated dirt toionesidefgonthe ditch-,fand either deposit itupon.- the: groundorupon suitable vehicles for= ,conveyance `toa distant point.

vThe' invention will,` be best understood Ifrom.. a ,consideratioxihof 'the following detailed. ,description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of ,this specification, in which drawings,

Eigurei 1t is a sideneleva-tion of theY improved. ditching machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View ofthe -same, andFigs. 3, 4,' 5 and 6 are detail views'.

Referring .to thedrawings there is shown a platform l'nearone end of which is mounted .lalboiler 2. the boiler end oi theplatform there .i s`mounted an axle 8, connected near 'each en d',by chain 4 to the corresponding-( end-offa shaftfnwjournaled in suitable bearings Vbeneath thelplatform 1. The shaft l-ldis.co upl ec l by Worm gearingr 6 to another fpeplei ,1.0. medelpupjof @stillness igt-*f1 'apose'ds'egments By providing".

Shale' amandine upwaaflbow a@ 'pla-rf forni, `anrilf; terminating. iny f a manipulating Whe-e118,4 constitutingthe steering wheel o'f the\s trjucinret l' 1., `Upon each 3" theifeisH 'ingame ya 'heelhrils 'a lirodpolysolmll .ressentais@forsoft; ma-Shy gradita an twin 'sustain-th weight @fthe may be coupled Ato or uncou'pled therefrom.

fing=menibers=33 erected upon the platform` vv1. Tlie-shaft licarriesaa .sprocket 'gear VlWheel 34 'arranged to be. coupled to or uur.; ,'coupledl from' the. shaft 3'1"by"means..gf1 j;

structure Without sinking I ground.' Q, .w, Near the other end of theplatfoim l is lcross beam or axle 11 cxtendingbeyondthe 6o` sides of the platform and'strengthened suitable longitudinal channel ironsl2.. At 'i E each end ofthe beam or axle 11 there 4is se.-t cured a rectangular frame 13. Theft'op land. (i. bottom longitudinal members of tlie fraiiie'f 13 are'connected 'at one end by the semi-ci cular tracks 14, and `at the other 4end therejis fr:

member-18. The series of .links 1T also feiltend around the sprocket tw'iheels'fl.'onfthe j shaft 15, so that when the latter visprf"pel'led d" f by suitable power, the treads 18 are carifiedflj'fi 8()T continuously around the frafrnef13f,progres ively. The endless series of ltreads;const tute supports for the correspondingfjend jo the machine, and are in line' with 'the E wheels 9. v f v Steam Vfrom the boiler iscon'veyed throughA 85 pipes 19 to .cylinders 2O constituting-thefen-v gine cylinders, and the pistons ofthe cylin-l ders are connected up totlre'-mai-n shaft-211- upon which is mounted f suitble :fly- Wheel 22. f-p/ f'f Power is transmitted from thcniain s h'aftf 21 by a sprocket chain drvej2`3, froma 'pin-i ion 24 on the main shaft to 'a sprocketl cl'iain vorear 25 on another shaft 26 mounted on' the`v a u.) .2-

; main platform 1. The pinion 24 '1s not nor# 29?- mally in engagement Withilthe shaft 21 but through a suitable clutch 27. Mounted upon; the main shaft 21 is another-sprocketfpin-fi ion 28 under the control of a suitable clutcltimt@0 29 by means of whichI the sprocketpinion 2 8,Y

may be lcoupled 'to foruncoupledffromnthe,

main' 7shaft 2 1'. l"The `sprocket .pinionf 2 81re-1' z. i

ceivesasprocketchain throughwhichpower is conveyed to a shaft'lfthrough the inter- .-195 mediarylof' a sprocket gear wheel 32. 'lhe .1 sha ftlf is suitably journaled :upon vsupporti-L` suitableclutch- 35;=Powerristransmitte l' Vfrom the 'shaft y31 by means of sprocket chain 36 engaging the sprocket wheel 34 on the shaft 31, and another sprocket wheel 37 on acounter-shaft 38 journaled on the support 33. 4The counter-shaft 38 carries a pin'- ion 39 in mesh with the gear wheel 4() mounted on a shaft 2G.

At each end ofthe shaft 2G there is mounted a sprocket wheel 41 coupled byia sprocket chain .42 to another sprocket wheel 43 on a counter-shaft 44 mounted in the corresponding frame 13 and transmitting p'ower by :means of the sprocket chain 45, to the shaft .115, before described. f

The construction is such that power may be 'transmitted to the traction apron made ilp of the links 17 and members or treads 1S to propel the entire structure in either direction at appropriate speed and without neand suitably journaled on the support 33 as cessity of stopping or reversing the engine. On the power shaft 211there is a pinion-46 meshing with the gear wheel 47 on another Shaft 48, which latter in turn carries a. pinion 49 meshing with the gear wheel 50 on another shaft 51, carrying t-wo drums 52 shown. The pinion 46 -is under the control of a Suitable clutch 53 by means of which the pinion 46 may be coupled to or unconypled from the drive shaft 2l at will. On one end of the shaft 48 is a band wheel 54 engaged by a friction hand 55 connected to and under the control of an operating lever 56 pivotally secured at an appropriate point on the pla-tformjl. At the end of the frame 1' remote from the boiler 2 are erectedl two i lposts 57 spaced apart a distance equal to lthe frame.

width' of the frame or platform 1.- The up. er ends of these uprights are held firmly y'brace rods 58 extending therefrom to the Vother end of the frame or platform 1.

Secured to but. spaced from the lower edges of the uprights remote from the platform 1 are guide members'59, receivingbetween them and the said uprights the pivot support G0 of av U-shaped frame G1, the pivots being at the free ends-of the side members of the iframe, and the connecting member of the frame being at the end remote from the pivot or at the enter end of said f be elevated when desired by winding up the chains or cables G-l upon the drums 2.

Then however, it is desired to. lower the frame (31I about its pivot support G0, the

shaft ,4S which is normally disconnected from the power shaft is permitted to rotate by lrelievingthe pressure of the friction band 55 upon thefriction wheel 54, when the weight of the frame G1 and parts carried thereby will cause the said frame to graif'itate toward the lower position, and un wind the cables or chains G4 from the drums 52. i

Extending laterally across the frame -61 at appropriate points thereon and mounted in suitable journal supports on the side niembers of said` frame are. two shafts -GG and (37 each carrying a pair of supperting rollers (3S distant more or less from the shafts't and G G is a third shaft G5), also carrying `rollers G8 and supported by suitable straps or braces fast on the frame (31,.' 'The rollers v(33 are. shaped and designed ,to eachv receive and carry two spaced annular side members 71 of the ditching wheel. 'These'two annular the Sametime spaced apart by pairs of angle bars 72 and 73, secured to the side members adjacent to their respective inner and outer peripheries. `Fast to the, spacing bars 73 are curved plates 74 projecting for a distance beyond the outer faces of the respective an nular side members 71. l Firmly secured to and extending radially outward from the two annular side members 71 of the ditching wheel are the cutting edge members 75 of the ditching buckets, these buckets being completed by spaced strips 76 each ,connected at one end to the cutting memb r 7 5 and at tlie other end brought to a supporting crossrpiece 77, to which all the strips are connected in substantially parallelfrelation at their inner ends. The buckets therefore, both constitute cutters and baskets for loosening up dirt and for carrying the same. to-a point of. deposit while any water which may be contained in the earth d ains off through the spaces between the strips ith This is particularly` valuable where the ditching niachine is used in wet or marsliy ground for the water readily escapes through the basketlike buckets and not ele 'ated by the action of the ditching wheel. The outer ends of all the cutters 75 are connected together by bars 78. so thatwhile the outer ends of the buckets are some distance from the annular side members T1, each serves to support the ging because of the connecting bars 73.

i VFormed on or secured to the outer faces of the annular members 71 near the inner periphery thereof, are projecting teeth 79 with which engage suitable teeth formed on a pinionSO'fast on the shaft (315, there being a pinion for cach series of teeth 7S). l he l shaftJG also carries a sprocket wheel Si. with and at another point approximatelyI v1200.

side members are connected together and at next adjacent'one against the strain of dig-- JSG whichy engages a sprocket 82, turn engaglng another sprocketwheel 88 on the Vchain. 86 lboom 8 7 to which it is connected, and then I started or stopped at the will ofthe operator.

Supportedby the frame Slis a conveyer frame, the side members 84 of Which are .shown in Fig. l as composed of channel iron.

The inner' end of this conveyer frame is -pivotally mounted on .the frame 61 andthe outer end lssupported by a yoke 85 carried by a extending over the outer end ot a to a suitable tackle -88 having one end con- I-nected to one of the uprights 57, and the y chine. A hand Wheel 91 servesto operate ,the shaft- 90', and so controlsthe tackle conother to'a Winding drum 89 on a short shaft 90journaled in the other upright 57 to be withinl reach of the operator who is stationed on thecorrespondmg 'side of the ma- 'nected to the drum 89. By means o't' the handWheel 91, theouter end of the conveyer frame maybe elevated or lowered and may beheld in the adjusted position by a suitable` pawl and ratchet which, however, are not shown inthe drawings, this being a very common expedient for the purpose.

At the outer end of the conveyer frame is a shaft 92 carrying at its outer ends sprocket Wheels 93 over 4which pass sprocketchains '94 connected by cross pieces 95, to which is fastenedl a heavy canvas belt 96 forming the receiving surface of the conveyer. `The sha-ftl 92 carries a chain Wheel 974 bymeansof which rotative vmovement is imparted, tothe shaft 92. The chain wheel 97 receives motionI from an endless chain 98,

Vextending over idlers 99 and 100 by means of ,which its .direction of movement is changed and finally passing around a chain wheel 101 fast on one end of the shaft 66, so that the conveyer is set in motion in an appropriate direction as the ditching wheel rotates.

Carried by the frame 61 interior to but in close relation to the annular side members71, is a curved plate'102 so located as to close the inner ends of the buckets against discharge during a certain portion of their rotation about the axis of the ditching wheel for a .purpose which will presently appear.

Let it beassumed that it is desirable to dig a ditch in soft, moist or marshy ground. The ditching machine is conveyed to the desired location under its own steam acting then as a traction engine and because of the extensive surface presented by the polygonal Wheels l0 and traction apron by which the engine is propelled, the very-broad 'surface presented prevents the machine from. sinking into the soft ground to any material eX- tentj but at" the sameftime a slight separagaging the ground. Xl/'helnhoweveig it isl desirable to begin the dltclnng operation,

the ditching wheel is lowereduntil it is in engagement with the ground, by a suitable manipulation of the friction wheel 54. By suitably'coupling up the ditching wheel to the engine, rotary motion is imparted tol ine ditching wheel in a direction which will cause its lower portion to more in the saine direction as the travel or the machine and as the ditching operation progresses, the

buckets are allowed to sink into the ground to the desired depth of the ditch, and then the machine may progress and the ditch be dug at a uniform depth. As the buckets are lifted out ot' the ground any free water which may be conta-ined in the dirt will lind its way through the strips TG, back into the ditch, andthe comparatively dry dirt will be elevated toward the upper part of the wheel. The inner ends ot' the buckets are open or free from obstruction, and so when they approach the horizontal position there a likelihood of their contents falling out of the inner ends of the buckets. It is for thisl reason that the plate 102 is provided so that the contents of the buckets `can not escape until the upper end ot the plate is reached, and this upper end is so located that when the buckets discharge it will be upon the conveyer canvas 90, the said conveyer extending entirely through the ditching wheel, so as to readily receive any dirt'discharged from the buckets, which discharge oit' the dirt is of course, effected by gravity.` As the ditching operation proceeds the conveyer is also caused to move so-as` to carry the excavated dirt away from the machine,

and deposit it at some considerable distance from the ditch, or it' desired it may be deposited into carts and conveyed to a greater distance from the ditch. The elevation of the outer end of the conveyer is controlled by a suitable manipulation of the hand wheel 91, and this elevation will depend upon the amount of dirt excavated and the speed of the conveyer, which factors will determine rthe height of the pile of dirt deposited from the end O the conveyer.

The depth of cutter may be regulated by adjusting the pivot supports 60 of the frame 61 vertically in the space between the guides 59 and the uprights 'so that the frame G1 may always 'be sety approximately horizontal independent of the depth of cut, 'and the conveyer' apron will therefore, also be in a substantially horizontal plane laterally, so that the material deposited thereon from the i buckets Will nottend to gravitate4 off the l slip. i p The connections between'lthe engine andv sides of the conveyer. It 'is to be observ d that the traction aprons provide' an ext' nsive supportfor the dlt'ching' machine whereby 1S adaptedto .operate in soft or marshy4 groun while at the' same time-a large' tractivefsurface is providedwhich -is necessary I inf-marshyl groundwherethe character of the surface would'Y cause the traction aprons 'and also the ditching Wheel are such that the ditching machine` may be propelled in either direction, an`d the' ditching Wheel may be rotated independent of the 'movement of the machine and also the ditching machne'may be given a forward' movement during the rotative movement of the ditching Wheel, which latter will be theordinary c onditionrfor continuous ditching operation.

' What is claimedis: v

41.' In a ditching machine, a ditching Wheel havingradialbuckets each .com osed' of a ra dially disposed cuttingrim an' a basket recgptacle for the excavated material, formed of strips fast at one end to the lcutting rim,-

' and at' the other .end lying approximately parallel'and connected to a cross strip at the' discharge end of the-bucket.

. 2., In a ditchn machine, a ditching rvheelhaving radially 4ispcsed. cutting b uc ets all inter=c'cnneetedl at the ends most distant from ,the axis cf rotation of the Wheels. I

3. 'In a'ditching Imachine,aditch1ng wheel provided with buckets having radial cutting members all interconnected at their outer ends, and basket receptacles for the exca- ,vated material comprising separated strips all connected at one end to the cutting mem- 'bers ,of the bucket,'and at the other end to a common cross member at the dlscharge end of thebucket. y

an ordinary traction Wheel to' 4, In a ditching machine,.a ditching wheel comprised of twov spaced annularJmembers',

spacing bars ,connecting said members, cut.

V ters cpnnected'to the outer s acin' -ba'rs andv f 'projectin 'laterally' beyond t e ou r face of; .v the annu ar members, and ditchin buckets extending'radally-rom the annu ar men- L bers, each `bucket being composed o`f afcuttng 'member extendin ra i ally. 'from the annular members, and a asket for they rece tion of the excavated material composed o spaced- Astrips each connected atl o'n'e end to the ci'1ttin member of thebucket'and at the other en toa commonco'nhectin member extending between the inner. en s of'the Cutting'. member at the discharge end of the bucket,

allthe buckets 'being interconnected at their' v outer ends.

'5. A ditching 'machine'comprising a'suit# i able vehicle, power means thereon, steering'` i `Wheels having'broad polygonal peripheri'es, `broad elongated endless traction aprons in line -With the steering Wheels and operatively connectedto the prime mover of the vehicle,

vehicle and having its pivot support adjustable in` a verticalplane, said ditchingwheel ,having radially extended buckets intercon-v nected at their outer ends and provided -with basket receptaclesV forthe excavated material,

an adjustable conveyer extending intothe ditching Wheel and 'carriedby the ditching Wheel support, means for' adjusting the ditching wheel in a vertical plane about .its pivot 4a ditching Wheel pivotally supported on the l.

support, and means for coupling the ditching

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