EXCAVATING MACHINE

• US 3,680,919 A
• Filed: 08/24/1970
• Issued: 08/01/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Melvin K. Rear, Robert L. Greivell
• Original Assignee: Melvin K. Rear, Robert L. Greivell
• Inventors: Rear, Melvin K., Greivell, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Application Number:
  US05/066,226
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 37/94-97,24,25,189,190 74/572-574 51/169 299/25,39,89
• US Class Current: 299/39.8
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/188 with the axis being horizontal and transverse to the direction of travel
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/20 with tools that only loosen the material , i.e. mill-type wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/241 digging wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2866 for rotating digging elements for milling machines B28D1/186; for mining machines E21C35/18

Abstract

An excavating apparatus including a digging unit having an endless digging wheel adapted for digging in both hard and soft terrain. Weighted members are detachably mounted on the digging wheel for selectively controlling the inertia thereof for digging in hard terrain. A cleaning assembly is mounted on the digging unit for removing spoil adhering to the digging wheel when digging in soft terrain. The cleaning assembly includes a selectively adjustable deflector mechanism adapted for discharging such spoil to one or both sides of the digging unit, as desired. Retaining covers are mounted on the digging unit adjacent the lower end thereof to prevent a build-up of excavated spoil thereon.

Claims

1. In an excavating machine including, a chassis, a digging unit mounted on said chassis for rotational digging movement thereon, said digging unit including an endless digging member having a plurality of cutter members mounted thereon and projecting outwardly therefrom, flywheel means for varying the inertia of said digging unit and maintaining the rotational speed of said digging member, said flywheel means including a plurality of weight members, and said weight members each being detachably connected to said digging member for selective connection or removal from said digging member to control the inertia and rotational speed thereof in accordance with the consistency and hardness of the terrain being excavated.

2. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said digging member being defined by a circular outer periphery in side elevation, and said weight members are mounted on said digging member adjacent said outer periphery being generally arcuate-shaped in side elevation so as to generally conform to the peripheral shape of said digging member when in the installed position thereon.

3. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 1, including selectively adjustable deflection means adapted for discharging excavated material to one or both sides of said digging unit.

4. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 1, wherein said digging member comprises an endless, wheel-like support member adapted for rotation about a generally horizontal axis, and said weight members are detachably mounted in symmetrical relationship on said support member.

5. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein said weight members are mounted in substantially end-to-end relation adjacent the periphery of said support member.

6. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein said support member is of a generally ring-like construction, and the cross sectional area defined by a plane extending radially through said support member has the greatest transverse dimension in the radial direction.

7. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein said weight members are mounted on at least one side of said support member.

8. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 4, wherein said support member includes a base adapted for mounting said support member on said digging unit, and a relatively flat ring extending outwardly from said base adapted for mounting said weight members thereon.

9. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 8, wherein said cutter members include a digger tooth mounted adjacent the outer end thereof, and said digger tooth is connected to said support member by a relatively thin web-like arm.

10. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 1, including retaining means mounted on said digging unit adapted to retain excavated material outwardly of said digging unit.

11. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 10, wherein said digging member is of a ring-like construction having an open center, and said retaining means comprises a pair of spaced, retaining plates mounted on said digging unit on opposite sides of said digging member being positioned radially inwardly thereof for enclosing the open center to prevent spoil from entering therEin.

12. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 11, wherein said plate members are rigidly mounted on said digging unit, and said digging member rotates relative to said plate members.

13. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 1, including scraper means adapted for mounting on said digging unit, and said scraper means adapted for removing soil adhering to said digging member when said flywheel means is removed therefrom.

14. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 13, wherein said scraper means includes a pair of detachable scraper assemblies mounted on opposite sides of said digging member, said scraper assemblies each including a scraper member extending inwardly toward said digging member into the position formerly occupied by said weight members when installed on said digging member, and said scraper member being mounted in stationary relation on said digging unit to enable said digging member to move relative thereto upon rotation thereof for removing excavated spoil adhering to said digging member.

15. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 13, including selectively adjustable deflection means for discharging spoil scraped from said digger member by said scraper means to the side of said digging unit, said deflection means including a pair of deflection plates pivotally mounted on said digging unit, and support means on said digging unit for supporting said deflection plates in a lowered angular position for discharging said excavated spoil to both sides of said digging unit or one of said deflection plates in a raised angular position and the other of said deflection plates in a lower angular position for discharging said spoil to one side of said digging unit.

16. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 13, wherein said scraper means includes at least one pair of generally vertically-oriented scraper members and at least one pair of generally horizontally-oriented scraper members rigidly mounted on said digging unit, a deflection assembly mounted on said digging unit below said vertically-oriented scraper members for discharging spoil scraped from said digging member outwardly away from said digging unit, the retaining means mounted on said digging unit adapted to retain excavated material outwardly of said digging unit, said retaining means comprising a pair of retaining plates mounted on opposite sides of said digging member, and said horizontally-oriented scraper members are mounted on said digging unit forwardly of said vertically-oriented scraper members for scraping spoil from said digging member to prevent said spoil from entering the space between said retaining plates before reaching said vertically-oriented scraper members.

17. In an excavating machine in accordance with claim 16 wherein said retaining plates are semi-circular in configuration when viewed in side elevation for covering the lower portion of said digging member.

18. A scraper apparatus for use in an excavating machine having a digging unit including an endless digging member adapted for rotation in a generally vertical plane about a horizontal axis, comprising at least one pair of oppositely disposed scraper assemblies mounted on said digging unit and projecting inwardly toward one another, said scraper assemblies each including a scraper member extending inwardly toward said digging member for removing spoil adhering to said digging member, a selectively adjustable deflection mechanism mounted on said digging unit for discharging excavated spoil away from said digging unit, said deflection mechanism including a pair of deflection plates pivotally mounted on said digging unit, and support means on said digging unit for supporting said deflection plate in a lowered angular position for discharging said excavated spoil to both sides of said digging unit or supporting one of said deflection plates in a raised angular position and the other of said deflection plates in a lowered angular position for discharging spoil to one side of said digging unit.

19. A scraper apparatus in accordance with claim 18, wherein said excavating machine includes retaining means comprising a pair of spaced, retaining plates mounted on said digging unit on opposite sides of said digging member, and another pair of scraper assemblies mounted on said digging unit on opposite sides of said digging member for scraping spoil from said digging member prior to removal of said spoil from said digging member by said one pair of scraper assemblies to prevent said spoil from entering into the space between said retaining plates.

20. A scraper apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein each of said scraper members include oppositely disposed edges spaced from one another a distance sufficient to enable movement of said digging member therebetween.

21. A scraper apparatus in accordance with claim 19, wherein said scraper members of said one pair of scraper assemblies are disposed in a generally vertically-oriented position and said scraper members of said other pair of scraper assemblies are disposed in a generally horizontally-oriented position in the normal digging position of said digger member.

22. A scraper apparatus in accordance with claim 21, wherein said horizontally-oriented scraper members are mounted on said digging unit forwardly of said vertically-oriented scraper members so that said horizontally-oriented scraper members remove spoil from said digger member prior to any removal of spoil by said vertically-oriented scraper members.