TANDEM WHEEL SUPPORTS

• US 3,849,017 A
• Filed: 10/11/1972
• Issued: 11/19/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1966
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: William Phillip King Rochfort
• Original Assignee: William Phillip King Rochfort
• Inventors: Rochfort, William Phillip King
• Primary Examiner(s): Byers, Jr., Nile C.
• Application Number:
  US05/296,589
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 404/84,123,108 280/104.5,14.5A 180/24.01,24.02
• US Class Current: 404/108
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 19/4893 Apparatus designed for railless operation
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 1/04 with fuel-air mixture admission into cylinder

Abstract

A concrete laying machine is provided which includes a body, a pair of rear supporting wheel assemblies and a pair of height adjusting devices, each supporting a side of the body in vertically adjustable manner above one of the supporting wheel assemblies. Each of the rear supporting wheel assemblies consists of a tandem wheel system including a major frame pivotally connected to the machine intermediate opposed ends of the major frame and having secondary frames pivotally connected to the major frame on opposite sides of the pivotal connection of the major frame to the vehicle. Wheels are journalled on the secondary frames on each of opposite sides of the pivotal connection thereof to the major frame with all of the wheels being arranged in tandem. Actuating means are provided which are operatively connected to each height adjusting device which can raise or lower a side of the body relative to the wheel supporting it. Power means is provided for propelling the machine and a front wheel assembly is mounted for steering the machine. A hopper or concrete chamber is mounted on the machine and includes an open bottom merging into a rearwardly extending open bottom mold. A paddle wheel assembly is located in the hopper and includes arms which are driven to move in the lower portion of the hopper in an arc toward the open end of the mold. The driven paddle agitates the mixture in the hopper and moves the same therefrom into the open bottom mold compacting the same therein as the machine moves forwardly. The open bottom mold shapes the discharged mixture to a desired cross-sectional configuration determined by the shape of the mold. Sensing means are provided to sense particular deviations from a predetermined relationship and cause the actuating means either to raise or lower the side relative to the wheel assembly supporting that side. Compensating means are also provided to cause other actuating means to be operated to raise or to lower the other side of the body in response to relative movement with respect to the adjacent side of the body.

Claims

1. A concrete laying machine comprising:

a. a mobile main frame having a front ground wheel assembly adapted for steering the machine;

b. a hopper on said main frame for holding a supply of concrete mix and having an open bottom providing an outlet through which the concrete mix is discharged;

c. an open bottom, downwardly facing mold extending rearwardly from the outlet of said hopper for receiving concrete mix discharged therefrom and shape the laid concrete to a dEsired cross-sectional shape;

d. feed means within the hopper for feeding the concrete mix through the hopper outlet into the mold; and

e. a pair of rear ground-engaging wheel assemblies mounted on said frame independent of one another and located respectively on opposite sides of the hopper, each of said rear groundengaging wheel assemblies comprising two pairs of wheels disposed in tandem with each pair of tandem wheels independently pivotally connected to opposite ends of a major frame member, said major frame being pivotally connected to the main frame of said machine at a position between said pair of tandem wheels for free pivotal movement thereof.

2. means pivotally connecting said major beam to said machine at a position between opposed ends of the major beam and arranged for free movement about a horizontal axis generally transverse to the direction of travel of the vehicle;

3. In a machine as defined in claim 2 wherein the pivotal connection of each major frame to the machine is offset longitudinally of the machine from the mid-point distance between the pivotal connection of the two minor frames to said major frame.

4. In a machine as defined in claim 2 including means mounting at least one of said major frames on said machine for vertical movement relative thereto and means for adjustably moving the same.

5. In a machine as defined in claim 2 including means to variously adjust the vertical position of each rear wheel assembly relative to the machine.

6. A paving machine including;

a. a main frame;

b. a hopper mounted on said frame for holding paving material to be deposited by said machine as it moves forwardly;

c. means on said machine for defining the outline shape of the paving material deposited during said forward movement of the machine;

d. a ground-engaging tandem wheel system located on each of opposite sides of said hopper and each comprising;

7. A paving machine as defined in claim 6 including means to variously adjust the vertical position of each tandem wheel system relativE to the machine.

8. A paving machine as defined in claim 7 wherein said means comprises a mounting for said pivotal connection permitting movement of said pivotal connection on said machine vertically relative thereto and means for adjustably moving the same.

9. A paving machine as defined in claim 6 wherein the pivotal connection of the major frame to the machine is offset longitudinally of the machine from the mid-point distance between the pivotal connection of two minor frames to the major frame adjacent thereto.

10. In a machine as defined in claim 9 including remotely controlled means on said machine for actuating said adjusting means.