Auger loading apparatus and machine with same

• US 20070267225A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Congdon, Thomas M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/310
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/6436 with scraper bowls with an ejector having translational movement for dumping the soil E02F3/6445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/6481 with scraper bowls with an ejector having translational movement for dumping the soil E02F3/649 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/655 Loading or elevator mechanisms loading devices for excavators in general E02F7/04

Abstract

A machine, such as a scraper machine, includes a bowl, a cutter and a loading apparatus coupled with the cutter and including a chute having a first end disposed outside the bowl, and an auger positioned at least partially within the chute. The auger includes at least one auger, and is configured to move work material between the first and second ends of the chute. A method of operating the scraper machine includes capturing work material at least in part by moving the cutting edge of the scraper machine through the work material, and conveying work material from the chute into the bowl at least-in part by rotating the auger.

Claims

1. A machine comprising:

a frame;

a bowl mounted to said frame, said bowl defining a load volume;

a cutter coupled with said frame and having a cutting edge; and

a loading apparatus coupled with said cutter and comprising a chute that includes a first end disposed outside of said bowl, and a second end, said loading apparatus further including an auger disposed at least partially within said chute, said auger being configured to move work material between the first and second ends of said chute.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said chute comprises inner peripheral walls extending at least partially about said auger, and an apron extending from a material feed opening toward said cutter, said auger having an axis of rotation and being configured to move work material in a feed direction through the chute which is generally aligned with its axis of rotation.

3. The machine of claim 2 wherein said apron includes a concave portion configured to guide work material toward said material feed opening.

4. The machine of claim 3 wherein the concave portion of said apron comprises a curved portion.

5. The machine of claim 2 wherein said auger comprises a first auger, said loading apparatus further comprising a second auger.

6. The machine of claim 5 wherein said first and second augers define a length dimension, and wherein said chute comprises curving inner peripheral walls extending about said first and second augers for at least a portion of said length dimension between said material feed opening and a discharge opening.

7. The machine of claim 6 wherein said first and second augers comprise first and second auger blades defining overlapping first and second auger peripheries, respectively.

8. The machine of claim 7 wherein said bowl defines a bowl width, and wherein the inner peripheral walls of said chute define an internal chute width that is less than said bowl width but greater than about one half of said bowl width.

9. The machine of claim 8 wherein the inner peripheral walls of said chute define a floor wherein said discharge opening is disposed.

10. The machine of claim 5 wherein said bowl includes a back side, a front side and first and second lateral sides defining said load volume, and wherein the floor of said chute at least in part defining the front side of said bowl.

11. The machine of claim 10 wherein said frame comprises an articulated frame having a front unit and a back unit coupled together at a pivotable joint, said first and second augers each having an axis of rotation oriented diagonally relative to a vertical line passing through said pivotable joint.

12. A loading apparatus for a scraper machine comprising:

at least one auger having an axis of rotation, said at least one auger including a loading end and a second end opposite said loading end, and defining a length dimension aligned with said axis of rotation and extending between said loading end and said second end; and

a chute including a material feed opening at a first position relative to the length dimension of said at least one auger, and including at least one material discharge opening separate from said material feed opening and disposed at a second position relative to said length dimension which is different from the first position;

wherein said at least one auger is configured to move work material between said material feed opening and said discharge opening in a feed direction aligned generally with said axis of rotation.

13. The loading apparatus of claim 12 wherein said at least one auger comprises first and second counter-rotating augers oriented in parallel.

14. The loading apparatus of claim 13 wherein said chute comprises an apron extending from said material feed opening and including a concave portion.

15. The loading apparatus of claim 14 wherein said chute includes curving peripheral walls extending at least partially about each of said first and second feed augers, said apron including first and second concave portions connecting with said curving peripheral walls at said material feed opening.

16. The loading apparatus of claim 12 wherein said at least one material discharge opening comprises a plurality of differently sized material sorting discharge openings.

17. A method of operating a scraper machine comprising the steps of:

capturing work material at least in part via a step of moving a cutting edge of the scraper machine through the work material;

moving work material into a chute of the scraper machine at least in part via the moving step; and

conveying work material from the chute to a bowl at least in part by rotating an auger disposed at least partially within the chute.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the auger comprises a first auger, the step of conveying work material further comprising conveying work material in part by rotating a second auger also disposed at least partially within the chute.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the moving step further comprises moving work material into a material feed opening of the chute, and wherein the conveying step further comprises discharging work material into the bowl through a material discharge opening located in a floor of the chute.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein rotating the first and second augers comprises rotating the first auger in a first direction, and rotating the second auger in a second, opposite, direction, the method further comprising the steps of conveying work material from the bowl to the chute at least in part by rotating the first and second augers in directions reverse to the first and second directions, respectively, and distributing the work material onto a work surface.