Trench Filling Machine

• US 20170183844A1
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Machine Works Inc (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Charles Machine Works Inc (Toro)
• Inventors: Vanderford, Cornelius, Sewell, Cody L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,450,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/00 Devices for lifting or lowering bulky or heavy goods for loading or unloading purposes mobile or transportable lifts in, or associated with, buildings and specially adapted to be shifted from one part of a building or other structure to another part or to another building or structure B66B9/16; cranes B66C
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/06 movable, with their loads, on wheels or the like, e.g. fork-lift trucks vehicle aspects B60 - B62; vehicles predominantly for transporting loads and modified to facilitate loading or unloading B60P1/00; low-lift hand trucks for transporting goods B62B3/06
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/002 Apparatus for preparing and placing the materials and for consolidating or finishing the paving
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/266 fitted to vehicles, road-construction or earth-moving machinery, e.g. auxiliary roll readily movable to operative position E01C19/268, E01C19/4806, E01C19/488, E01C19/52, E01C21/00, E01C23/065 take precedence; provided with means for facilitating transport; Means for transporting rollers; Arrangements or attachments for converting vehicles into rollers, e.g. rolling sleeves for wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/47 Hydraulic cement concrete mixers combined with distributing means specially adapted for road building E01C19/025 takes precedence ; concrete mixers per se B28C
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2301/40 Working platform or walkway
• CPC Class Codes: E02D 2300/0018 Cement used as binder
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/223 for back-filling in association with trench excavators E02F5/12

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a machine for filling a trench. The machine comprises a tub, release assembly, and a hopper. The tub mixes a material to be filled into the trench. The release assembly releases the material into the hopper and the material flows from the hopper and into the trench. The machine moves parallel to the trench as the trench is being filled. A compactor assembly may follow behind the hopper and pack material into the trench. An operator controls the movement of the machine from an operator station on the machine.

Claims

1. A trench filling machine, comprising:

a frame;

a plurality of ground-contacting motive elements for moving the frame on a ground surface;

a mixing vessel supported by the frame;

a hopper supported by the frame and having a discharge conduit;

a compactor assembly attached to the hopper;

a release assembly configured to move material from the mixing vessel to the hopper; and

a positioning system configured to selectively move the discharge conduit above and below the ground surface.

2. The trench filling machine of claim 1 wherein the compactor assembly comprises a compact wheel and a vibrator motor.

3. The trench filling machine of claim 2 wherein the compact wheel is supported on a wheel mount comprising:

a first side plate;

a second side plate; and

a pin disposed through an opening in the first side plate, the compact wheel, and the second side plate;

wherein the wheel is supported on the pin between the first side plate and the second side plate.

4. The trench filling machine of claim 3 wherein the wheel can move laterally about the pin.

5. The trench filling machine of claim 2 wherein the compactor assembly is attached to the hopper such that the compact wheel follows directly behind the discharge conduit as the hopper deposits material into the trench.