US3483644A - Earth moving implement having plural scoops - Google Patents

Description

Dec.'16, 1969 H. s. POTGIETER EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURAL SCOOPS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.

Dec. 16, 1969 H. s. POTGIETER EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURAL SCOOPS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 23, 1966 Dec. 16, 1969 H. s. POTGIETER 3,483,644

EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURAL SCOOPS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 16, 1969 H. s. POTGIETER EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURAL SCOOPS Filed Dec. 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W UFQ United States Patent O 3,483,644 EARTH MOVING IMPLEMENT HAVING PLURAL SCOOPS Hendrik Stoute Potgieter, Hooglanden, Zastron, Orange Free State, Republic of South Africa Filed Dec. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 604,464 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Oct. 13, 1966, 66/6,200 Int. Cl. EliZd 3/00 US. Cl. 37127 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An earth moving self-filling scraper is provided wherein two or more tandemly positioned scoops are arranged for independent serial filling and simultaneous discharge by means of pusher blades mounted for sliding movement along the scoops. The front scoop is provided with a pivotally mounted apron, but for a scoop positioned rearwardly of the front scoop the pusher blade of the front scoop will, in -its retracted position, provide an apron.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This invention is a development of my earlier invention, in respect of which US. Patent No. 3,163,946 was sealed on Jan. 5, 1965.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to earth moving implements of the kind sometimes called carry scrapers, which are provided with one or more self-filling scoops mounted on a wheeled chassis which is either adapted to be drawn by a tractor, or which is arranged to be self-propelled, by the mounting of propulsion means thereon.

SUMMARY According to the invention, an earth moving implement of the kind as generally defined above, includes front and rear pairs of road wheels, a chassis connecting these front and rear wheels; a plurality of self-filling troughlike scoops mounted tandem-fashion on the chassis for independent downward pivoting movement for scraping and filling and subsequent upward pivoting movement for travelling purposes, such that they are capable of being filled successively, a bull-dozer type of loading pusher blade constituting an end wall for each scoop, which pusher blades are arranged for simultaneous forward longitudinal movements within the scoops for discharging their contents from the front ends thereof, and wherein apron means are provided for closing the front ends of the scoops when in their filled and travelling positions.

In the case of the front scoop a separate pivotally mounted apron for its open front end is provided, while for the scoop or scoops positioned rearwardly of such front scoop, the pusher blade of a scoop immediately in front of it will, in its retracted position, provide an apron for its front open end.

To permit the discharge of the contents of a scoop mounted rearwardly of the front scoop, a bottom'or floor discharge opening is provided between its front end and the rear end of the scoop immediately in front of it, which discharge opening is arranged to be closed by the bottom end of the pusher blade which provides its apron, acting in the nature of a sliding shutter or gate. This pusher blade is open at its bottom, and forms a hollow structure which overlaps and completely closes the floor discharge opening. This structure may also be open at the top for clearing out clay stuck to the bottom. A sharp rear edge has a shearing action on clay or sods "ice when the rear scoop is raised. For this purpose, the bottom of such pusher blade is not closed off, and in the fully retracted position it overlaps and completely closes off such floor discharge opening.

Means may be provided for lowering the front end of the chassis to facilitate the scraping and filling operations of the scoops, in addition to the means provided for effecting the independent pivoting movement of the scoops for this purpose.

The power-exerting devices are conveniently hydraulically operated cylinder and piston units, arranged to be controlled by an operator driving a towing vehicle or by an operator seated on the machine itself when it is selfpropelled. The front end of the chassis may be supported by being pivotally mounted between the two rearwardly directed arms of a bifurcated draft frame, the opposite front end of which is pivotally connected to the front wheels, where the implement is in the form of a trailer or is self-propelled. Alternatively the front end of the chassis may be supported on the rear wheels of a tractor vehicle such as a mechanical horse, in which case the aforementioned front wheels are rendered redundant.

The connection between the front end of the draft frame and an axle on which the front wheels are mounted, is preferably in the form of a ball and socket joint, but may be by means of a bolster shaft, allowing universal motion of the front axle by means of a centre fork and pin in the front axle.

The scoops may be pivotally attached to the side frame members of the chassis by rearwardly projecting pairs of arms, with the pairs of arms of the scoops being alternatively arranged above and below the corresponding arms of an adjacent scoop and spaced laterally so as to prevent fouling during successive pivoting movements of the scoops. This arrangement is only used when more than two scoops are provided.

In an alternative arrangement the scoops may have a common pivot axis near to and below the axis of the rear wheels so as to provide a small angle of attack for the scraping lips on the front ends of the scoops.

An hydraulically operated piston and cylinder unit is arranged to operate the pusher blades and is located rearwardly of the back end of the rear scoop and connected to the pusher blades by yokes or other convenient rigid connecting means, such as side plates rigidly connecting front and rear pusher blades. These side plates are conveniently located inside of the vertical side walls of the scoops.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING To enable the invention to be more clearly understood and carried into practice, reference is now made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an earth moving implement made according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view taken on FIGURE 1 but omitting the hydraulic cylinder units and other parts.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary substantially diagrammatic side view illustrating a modification of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 3, but showing a further modified arrangement, and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the front end of the implement, illustrating a modified method of mounting and operating an apron for the front end of the front scoop.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing, reference 10 denotes the chassis of a trailer type earth moving implement which is mounted on a pair of rear wheels 12 and a pair of steerable front wheels 14, to which the chassis is pivotally attached by means of the bifurcated draft frame 16 between the two rearwardly directed arms of which the chassis is pivotally supported by the two trunnion pins 18. Mounted within the chassis are front and rear scoops 20 and 22 each of which carries a sharp front lip 24. The implement is arranged to be coupled to a towing vehicle such as a tractor by the drawbar 26. The rear end of the chassis is supported below the axle 28 and is attached to it by the two extensions 30 so that the front end of the chassis 10 can be lowered for filling the front scoop 20, by operation of the hydraulic cylinder and piston units 32, arranged one on each side and connected between the two arms of the draft frame 16 and anchoring lugs 34 projecting upwardly from the top side of the chassis 10.

The rear scoop 22 is pivotally mounted, by means of rear extensions 36, having bearing means 38 secured on the rear axle 28, and is arranged to be independently lowered and raised for filling and travelling purposes by two cylinder and piston units 40, arranged one on each side of the chassis 10. An apron 42 fixed to two transversely spaced arms 44 pivotally secured at their ends to the chassis 10 by two pivot pins 46, is arranged to be raised and lowered by a cylinder and piston unit 48.

The back end of the rear scoop 22 is closed by the pusher blade 50, while the rear end of the front scoop is closed by the pusher blade 52 which is connected to the pusher blade 50 by side yokes 54.

The bottom of the hollow pusher blade 52 in the travelling retracted position of such blade, forms a closure for a transverse discharge opening 58 for the rear scoop 22 as shown in FIGURE 1. Sliding operative movement of the pusher blades 50 and 52 within the scoops 20 and 22, is controlled by a single rearwardly mounted cylinder and piston unit 60, anchored to a rigid bracket structure 62 at the extreme rear end of the implement.

LOADING OF SCOOPS The front scoop 20 is lowered through the draught frame 16 by means of hydraulic cylinder and piston units 32, until the lip 24 commences to dig in. The front scoop 20 is rigidly fixed in the chassis 10 and is raised or lowered as the chassis is raised or lowered by means of hydraulic unit 32. The front scoop forms the front portion of the chassis.

The rear portion of the chassis is in the form of a frame. Within this frame the rear scoop 22 is free for up or down pivotal movement. The cylinder and piston units 40 on either side of the rear scoop have their top pivots attached to the chassis 10. Their bottom pivots are connected to brackets on either side of the rear scoop. The rear scoop pivots on the bearing means 38 secured to rear axles 28.

When the rear scoop is lowered for digging, the rear pusher blade 50 and front pusher blade 52 take up the positions as indicated in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. When the rear scoop is raised the pusher blades and cylinder and piston assembly 60 is also raised through guide rollers 70 (see FIGURE 4), and are then in a horizontal position for discharging both scoops.

The cylinder and piston units 48 and 60 are hydraulically connected and are operated by a sigle double-acting control valve (not shown). Since the load on the unit 48 is arranged to be smaller than the load on the unit 60, the apron 42 rises first when this control valve is opened, in the appropriate direction, and thereafter the ram unit 60 causes the pusher blades 50 and 52 to discharge the contents of the scoop 22 through the discharge opening 58 as it is uncovered by the forward movement of the pusher blade 52, and simultaneous discharge of the contents of the front scoop 20 from its now open front end. On completion of the discharge operation, the control valve is operated to reverse the flow of hydraulic fluid and thus to cause retraction of the pusher blades 50 and 52 a d closing of apron 42.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a modification in which the rear ends of two transversely spaced yokes 61 are connected by their rear ends to the rear pusher blade 50, while their front ends are rigidly attached to the top of the pusher blade 52, the front bottom end of which is arranged to pivot about the front end of the floor discharge opening 58, as shown. The bottom end 56 of the pusher blade 52 is open.

In operation, the pusher blade 52 tilts rearwardly when the rear scoop 22 is lowered, as shown, for filling purposes, so that on the rear scoop 22 being raised after filling, its rear edge 66 approaches the front end of the scoop 22, whereby this pusher blade acts at an early stage as an apron for the rear scoop as its tilts about its bottom front edge 64.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 4, which shows an arrangement which is a modification of that shown in FIGURE 3. In this case the rear pusher blade is connected by two side yokes 61a to the front pusher blade 52. Both connections are rigid but the end of the piston rod of the hydraulic unit 60 is pivotally attached to the rear of the pusher blade 50. The top corners of each of the yokes 61a are provided with rollers 70. The front pair of rollers 70 engage with top and bottom guide flanges 72 and 74 fixed to the main frame. The rear pair of rollers 70 engage with guide flanges 76 fixed to the sides of the rear scoop 22. An advantage of the provision of rollers 70 is that they take the weight of the pusher blade 50 and thereby the wear on the bottom end of the pusher blade and the floor of the scoop 22 is reduced. A further advantage is that the combined pusher blade unit is guided into position when the rear scoop 22 is lowered to the digging and filling position, so that the heel or rear bottom edge 66 of the front pusher blade 52 approaches near to the rear scoop blade 24 to act as an apron for the rear scoop 22.

The front rollers 70 are restricted by the top guide flanges '72 so that when the rear scoop 22 is raised after filling, the front pusher blade 52 is not lifted by earth trapped between the floor of the rear scoop 22 and the front pusher blade 52. The bottom side 56 of this front pusher blade 52 is open so as to lessen resistance to raising of the rear scoop 22. The rear bottom edge 66 is sharpened to assist in further lessening such resistance.

In FIGURE 4 the full line representation indicates the rear scoop 22 in its travelling position while the dotted line outline indicates the positions of the several movable parts when the rear scoop 22 is lowered for filling.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 5 of the drawing which illustrates a modified method of mounting and operating an apron for the front end of the front scoop 20. One of the two rearwardly directed arms of the bifurcated draft frame 16 is indicated by reference 16.

The modified apparatus is mounted on the top side of the chassis 10 and comprises two square cornered U- shaped frames 80 and 82 mounted one above the other and pivotally connected together at their rearwardly directed side limbs by the pivot pins 84 which engage in two brackets 86 fixed to the chassis frame 10.

The upper frame 80 has the top end of a curved apron plate 88 fixed to its front end, which front end is connected to the front end 'of the lower frame 82 by the hydraulic cylinder and piston unit 90.

Adjustably attachable to the side member of the lower frame 82, are L-shaped stop elements 92, the outwardly projecting horizontal limbs 94, of which are arranged to make contact with the arms of the bifurcated draft frame 16, when the front scoop 20 is lowered for scraping and filling purposes, so as to hold the apron plate 88 stationary in a position which will leave a sufiicient opening between its lower end and the front lip 24 of the scoop 20, to enable soil or the like to enter it during such scraping and loading operation of the implement. When the scoop 20 is raised on completion of the loading operation by means of the hydraulic cylinder and piston units 32,

the apron plate 38 is freed so that it, and the upper frame 80 to which it is attached, is capable of dropping by gravity to its fully closed position. If however, a stone or a lump of hard material prevents it from closing fully, the apron plate 88 then lifts both frames 80 and 82 and the hydraulic unit 90. This increases the weight applied by the apron plate 88 which, due to travelling of the implement, will tend to be shaken down to its fully closed position.

For discharging the contents of the scoop 20, the apron plate 88 is raised to a fully open position by the hydraulic unit 90, which is arranged to be operated simultaneously with the operation of hydraulic unit 60 operating the pusher blades.

What I claim is:

1. An earth moving implement which includes a chassis having supporting wheels, a plurality of self-filling scoops mounted on the chassis and arranged in series one behind the other and spaced longitudinally apart so that fiow discharge openings are defined between adjacent scoops, each of the scoops having a front scraping lip and the scoops being pivotally mounted about trailing transverse axes permitting upward and downward pivoting movement about their pivotal axes; an off-loading pusher blade for each scoop and constituting a back end wall for the scoop, each said pusher blade being arranged for simultaneous forward longitudinal movement for discharging the scoop contents from the front ends of the scoops, and apron means for closing the said front ends of the scoops in their filled travelling positions, the pusher blade of each scoop which leads a trailing scoop being arranged to act as the apron means for the said trailing scoop, and having a formation at its bottom end so that in its fully retracted position it overlaps and closes off the floor discharge opening between the said scoops.

2. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are provided for lowering the front end of the chassis to facilitate the scraping and filling operations of the scoops.

3. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the scoops have a common pivot axis.

4. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein two scoops are provided on the chassis and at least one rear mounted hydraulic piston and cylinder unit is pivotally connected at its rear end to the chassis rearwardly of the back end of the rear scoop, and is connected to the pusher blades by rigid yoke connecting means.

5. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rear ends of the yokes are pivotally connected to the rear pusher blade, while the front ends thereof are rigidly attached to the top of the pusher blade of the front scoop, and wherein the front bottom edge of the pusher blade of the front scoop is arranged to pivot about the front end of the floor discharge opening when the rear scoop is lowered to its scraping and filling position.

6. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 4 wherein the rear ends of the yokes are rigidly connected to the rear pusher blade, while the front ends thereof are rigidly attached to the top of the pusher blade of the front scoop, with the front bottom edge of the pusher blade of the front scoop being arranged to pivot about the front end of the floor discharge opening when the rear scoop is lowered to its scraping and filling position, and wherein the top front and rear ends of the yokes are provided with rollers which co-operate with guide means so as to take the weight of the rear pusher blade and thereby lessen wear on the bottom edge of such blade and the floor of the rear scoop.

7. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 6 wherein the guiding means for the rollers on the front ends of the yokes are fixed to the .main frame of the chassis, while the guiding means for the rollers on the rear ends of the yokes are fixed to sides of the rear scoop.

8. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 1 wherein an apron for the open front end of the front scoop includes a downwardly directed apron plate, the to end of which is rigidly fixed to the free end of the pper of two superimposed co-operating frames, pivotally connected together and to the chassis frame of the front open end of the front scoop, and wherein an hydraulic cylinder and piston unit is connected between the front ends of the two frames so that it is capable of controlling the opening movement of the apron plate.

9. An earth moving implement as claimed in claim 8, wherein the apron plate is arranged to be opened automatically to a predetermined partial extent sufiicient to permit the filling operation to take place, when the front scoop is lowered for scraping and filling purposes, by pro viding stop means on the side members of the lower of the two superimposed co-operating frames so that such stop means makes contact with the two rearwardly directed arms of the bifurcated draft frame, and thus stops downward movement of the upper frame and through it the apron plate fixed to it.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,061,924 11/1936 Slate 37129 XR 2,207,424 7/1940 Wood 37126 2,505,202 4/1950 Peterson 37127 2,791,044 5/1957 Hancock 37-8 XR 2,912,826 11/1959 Tam 60-97 2,931,111 4/1960 Clark 374 3,052,996 9/1962 Holopainen 37124 XR 3,163,946 1/1965 Potgieter 37129 3,230,646 1/1966 LeTourneau 37-126 E. H. EICKHOLT, Primary Examiner ROBERT E. PULFREY, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 374

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