SELF-PROPELLED CABLE BURYING APPARATUS

• US 3,670,512 A
• Filed: 03/12/1971
• Issued: 06/20/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford New Holland, Inc. (CNH Industrial N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Kenneth F. Kudingo, Robert L. Grazier
• Inventors: Grazier, Robert L., Kudingo, Kenneth F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shapiro, Jacob
• Application Number:
  US05/123,663
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 61/72.6,72.5,72.7,72.1 172/40 37/93
• US Class Current: 405/182
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/103 with oscillating or vibrating digging tools

Abstract

A cable burying apparatus is mounted to a self-propelled tractor which can be ridden by the operator. The cable burying function is achieved by a blade which oscillates in a vertical plane parallel to the front to rear axis of the tractor. The upper end of the blade is pivoted to the top of a housing and a connecting rod driven by an eccentric is connected between the ends of the blade so that rotation of the shaft which mounts the eccentric will oscillate the bottom end of the blade. The housing also carries the eccentric and the shaft which drives the eccentric. Power for the rotation of the shaft is taken from a prime mover that is used to drive the tractor and is coupled to the eccentric shaft by a belt and pulley system including a pulley which is connected to the eccentric shaft. The entire housing is pivotally mounted to the rear of the tractor and can be swung between positions that raise the blade upward away from the ground and that move the blade down into the ground. This can be done by hydraulic means under the control of the operator without leaving his seat and without regard to whether the tractor is moving or not. The blade may have a chute for leading wire or cable through the chute to the bottom of the blade from the top thereof, or it may have a connection at its bottom end to enable a cable or pipe to be connected thereto to be pulled through the ground. In either case there is a narrow slit trench cut by the oscillation of the blade and the cable or pipe is disposed in the bottom of the trench.

Claims

1. Cable-burying apparatus, comprising A. a self-propelled vehicle adapted to be driven over the ground by a riding operator and having a framework, a prime mover mounted at the front end of the vehicle to the framework for propelling said vehicle, B. a housing at the rear of the vehicle and pivotally mounted to the framework for swinging movement in a vertical plane upon a horizontal axis, C. a generally vertical blade adapted to enter the ground and being pivotally secured at its upper end to the housing, D. a first horizontal shaft carried by the housing and having an eccentric mounted thereon, a connecting rod reciprocating by rotational movement of the eccentric and the rod being connected to the blade between the ends thereof so that reciprocation of the rod will cause the bottom end of the blade to oscillate back and forth in a vertical plane parallel with the front-to-back axis of the vehicle, E. power take-off means coupling the prime mover to said first horizontal shaft and including a second horizontal shaft mounted on said framework driven by said prime mover, the axis of said second shaft being substantially coaxial with said horizontal axis, F. flexible power transfer means connecting said first and second horizontal shafts, and G. means operable by the operator while seated on the vehicle and including extensible link means between said housing and framework to cause the swinging movement of said housing without regard to oscillation of said blade, between a position in which the blade is disposed in the ground and a position in which the blade is tilted up and out of the ground.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said power take-off means include a vertical shaft carried by said framework at the rear of said vehicle, belt and sheave connections between said prime mover and vertical shaft whereby said shaft rotates while said prime mover is operating, and a mechanical connection between said vertical shaft and said second horizontal shaft for converting vertical rotation of the vertical shaft into horizontal rotation of the said second horizontal shaft.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 on which the extensible link means comprise at least one hydraulic cylinder having a pivotal connection with said housing at one end thereof and a pivotal connection with the framework at the other end thereof, one of said pivotal connections including a coupling with the connecting rod of the cylinder.

4. ThE apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which there are rail means fixed to said housing and extending forwardly therefrom, said rail means having the front end thereof connected to said framework on stub shaft means, the axis of said stub shaft means comprising said horizontal axis.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 in which said mechanical connection comprises a pair of meshing bevel gears.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said first and second shafts each have a sheave secured thereto and the flexible power transfer means comprise a flexible belt connected between the sheaves.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the framework includes a boxlike structure connected to said framework at the rear thereof, the pivotal mounting of said housing is to said boxlike structure and the second horizontal shaft is mounted on said boxlike structure.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 in which said power take-off means include a vertical shaft carried by said boxlike structure, belt and sheave connections between said prime mover and vertical shaft whereby said shaft rotates while said prime mover is operating, and a mechanical connection between said vertical shaft and said second horizontal shaft for converting vertical rotation of the vertical shaft into horizontal rotation of the said second horizontal shaft.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said blade has a passageway for leading a cable or the like to the blade to pass down the same and out the bottom of the blade into the bottom of the trench being cut by the blade during oscillation thereof and while the vehicle is moving forward.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which said blade has a connection at the bottom end thereof for coupling a cable or the like to the blade to enable the cable or the like to be pulled forward through the trench being cut by the blade during oscillation thereof and while the vehicle is moving forward.

11. Cable burying apparatus, comprising A. a self-propelled vehicle adapted to be driven over the ground by a riding operator and having a framework, a prime mover mounted at the front end of the vehicle to the framework for propelling said vehicle, B. a housing at the rear of the vehicle and pivotally mounted to the framework for swinging movement in a vertical plane upon a horizontal axis, C. a generally vertical blade adapted to enter the ground and being pivotally secured at its upper end to the housing, D. a first horizontal shaft carried by the housing and having an eccentric mounted thereon, a connecting rod reciprocating by rotational movement of the eccentric and the rod being connected to the blade between the ends thereof so that reciprocation of the rod will cause the bottom end of the blade to oscillate back and forth in a vertical plane parallel with the front-to-back axis of the vehicle, E. power take-off means coupling the prime mover to said first horizontal shaft and including means mounted on the framework capable of transmitting rotational movement from said prime mover to said first horizontal shaft for all positions of said housing, and F. means operable by the operator while riding including variable length link means connected between said housing and framework to cause the swinging movement of said housing without regard to oscillation of the blade, between a position in which the blade is disposed in the ground and a position in which the blade is tilted up out of the ground.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 in which said means capable of transmitting rotational movement include a second horizontal shaft and flexible power transfer means connecting said first and second horizontal shafts.

13. Cable-burying apparatus, comprising a self-propelled vehicle having a framework and being adapted to be driven over the ground by a riding operator, a housing at the rear end of said vehicle, said housing being pivotally mounted to said framework for swinging movement in a vertical plane upon and about a horizontal axis, a generally vertical blade adapted to enter the ground and being pivotally secured at its upper end to said housing, a first horizontal shaft carried by said housing and having an eccentric mounted thereon, a connecting rod which is reciprocated by rotational movement of said eccentric and which is connected to said blade between the ends thereof so that reciprocation of said rod will cause the bottom end of said blade to oscillate back and forth in a vertical plane parallel with the front-to-back axis of said vehicle, a second horizontal shaft mounted on said framework, the axis of said second shaft being substantially coaxial with said horizontal axis, power transfer means operatively connecting said second shaft to said first shaft for driving said first shaft from said second shaft, means for rotating said second shaft, and means operable by the operator while seated on said vehicle for causing swinging movement of said housing without regard to the oscillation of said blade, between a position in which said blade is disposed in the ground and a position in which said blade is tilted up and out of the ground, said means for causing swinging movement including extensible linkage connected between said housing and said framework.