EXCAVATION REFILL PACKER

• US 3,596,384 A
• Filed: 12/09/1968
• Issued: 08/03/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Roy E. Neujahr
• Original Assignee: Roy E. Neujahr
• Inventors: Neujahr, Roy E.
• Application Number:
  US04/782,210
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• US Class Current: 37/142.5
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/223 for back-filling in association with trench excavators E02F5/12

Abstract

The excavation refill packer has its principal use as an ambulant ditch packer, a self-contained machine which picks up and screens soil from a pile alongside a ditch and throws the soil into the ditch, by means of a high-speed impeller, with sufficient force to pack the soil firmly without the need for tamping. Apparatus is provided for injecting a closely controlled flow of water into the moving flow of soil to obtain the desired moisture content. The entire machine is controllable by a single operator, who can direct the high-velocity stream of soil to fill the ditch evenly as the machine advances. The machine can be adapted for pack-refill of excavations which are not narrow as the word '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'ditch'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' suggests, since the machine can make repeated and progressive passes.

Claims

1. An excavation refill packing machine comprising:

a mobile chassis having a frame thereon;

soil collecting and conveying means mounted on said frame to pick up soil as the machine advances;

an impeller unit on said frame to receive the soil, said impeller unit having a downwardly directed outlet;

said outlet being shiftable relative to said frame;

means to shift said outlet for better distribution of the soil; and

means for self-compaction of the soil comprising driven impeller means in said impeller unit to propel a stream of soil through said outlet into an excavation with sufficient velocity and force to distributively pack the soil firmly and eliminate the need for tamping.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said impeller means includes a rotary impeller having vanes, said vanes directly contacting said stream of soil adjacent to the radially outer ends of said vanes and having a peripheral speed on the order of 100 feet per second.

3. The structure of claim 1, and including a hopper on said frame and a soil conducting flexible boot connecting said hopper to said impeller unit, said impeller unit being suspended from said frame by flexible means and balanced for ease of shifting the impeller unit, said means for shifting comprising manual control means for effecting such shifting to direct highly accelerated soil in a backfilling operation with simultaneous impaction of the backfill soil.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein said impeller means comprises a plurality of vertically spaced impellers, and means to drive the lower impeller at a peripheral speed considerably greater than that of the upper impeller.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein said impeller unit has at least one spray bar adjacent said outlet, with orifices directed toward the path of the stream of soil;

and a source of water connected to said spray bar.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein said orifices are adjustable in area.

7. The structure of claim 6, wherein said source of water is of constant pressure.