High strength portable cable crossover for high tonnage earth moving vehicles

• US 3,888,186 A
• Filed: 07/30/1973
• Issued: 06/10/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: David P. Jentzsch, Hyrum T. Anderson, Lee J. Olsen
• Original Assignee: David P. Jentzsch, Hyrum T. Anderson, Lee J. Olsen
• Inventors: Jentzsch, David P., Anderson, Hyrum T., Olsen, Lee J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wood, Jr., M. Henson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Reese, Randolph A.
• Application Number:
  US05/383,644
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 104/275,277 280/480,12R
• US Class Current: 104/275
• CPC Class Codes: A62C 33/06 Hose or pipe bridges
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/00 Component parts of dredgers or soil-shifting machines, not restricted to one of the kinds covered by groups E02F3/00 - E02F7/00 laying-out or take-up devices for trailing electric cables B66C
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/0858 Arrangement of component parts installed on superstructures not otherwise provided for, e.g. electric components, fenders, air-conditioning units E02F9/16, E02F9/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 9/065 Longitudinally split tubes or conduits therefor

Abstract

A portable crossover of high strength elastomeric material, such as polyurethane resin, which is placed upon the ground in the path of a high tonnage earth moving vehicle. A cable, supplying electrical power to an electric excavator, is placed in a Ushaped channel or recess and a strip insert of elastomeric material is placed over the cable thereby preventing debris from damaging the cable or causing subsequent removal of the cable to be difficult. The crossover is shaped particularly to provide ramps on each side for the vehicle to engage and has central load-carrying shoulders which restrict central deflection of the crossover, under the wheels of the vehicle, such that vehicle load is not imposed on the cable. A towbar, of rigid plate material or a cable or chain fixedly joins one end of the crossover whereby a two vehicle may connect to and relocate a crossover from place to place as needed, upon removal of the cable from the channel.

Claims

1. A ground-engaging cable crossover for out-of-doors use with heavy load earth moving vehicles weighing on the order of 200,000-400,000 pounds when loaded comprising:

a body of molded synthetic resinous material molded as one piece and having a durometer hardness sufficient to support excavating vehicle loads in excess of 200 tons and a length of not less than 8 feet;

said body comprising;

feathered front and back edges;

front and back tapered ramps, each extending from one said feathered edge to the center of the body and each defining a continuously flat horizontal bottom load bearing surface, an angular top surface diverging from said bottom surface in a direction away from the associated edge and a solid interior between said flat bottom and said angular top surfaces;

a central solid portion integrally of said one piece with each tapered ramp and bridging therebetween having a width substantially less than the width of either ramp, said central solid portion comprising a central continuously flat horizontal bottom load bearing surface linearly connecting one ramp continuously flat horizontal bottom surface with the other ramp flat bottom surface thereby creating a continuously flat horizontal load bearing crossover bottom surface and spaced generally horizontal top surface areas respectively joined to the adjacent ramp angular top surface, and a Ushaped recess spanning between said horizontal top surface areas and running the full length of the crossover for receiving an electrical cable by which an electrically driven excavator is powered, said recess having a vertical depth greater than the diameter of the cable, the spaced generally horizontal top surface areas and the solid material thereunder defining two support shoulders along the entire length of the crossover across which a ground-engaging vehicle having said weight load is displaced without deflecting said shoulders such as would impose vehicle load on the cable in the recess.

2. A ground-engaging portable cable crossover for out-of-doors use with high tonnage earth moving vehicles comprising:

a unitary one piece body of molded synthetic resinous material;

said body comprising;

two ends;

feathered front and back edges, each edge being defined by said material disposed in the form of an acute angle tip;

front and back tapered ramps, respectively extending from the tip of each edge toward the center of the crossover and defining a horizontal flat continuous load bearing bottom surface, an angular top surface and a solid interior between said bottom and top surfaces;

a central solid portion comprising said one piece body so as to be integral with each tapered ramp and bridging therebetween comprising a central horizontal flat continuous load bearing bottom surface linearly connecting the two ramp bottom surfaces one to the other thereby creating a continuous horizontal load bearing crossover bottom surface and spaced generally horizontal top surface areas respectively angularly joined to the two ramp angular top surfaces and a U-shaped recess having spaced vertical walls connected by a base, the walls and base of the U-shaped recess connecting one top horizontal surface area to the other, the U-shaped recess running the full length of the crossover for receiving an electrical cable by which an electrically driven excavator is powered, said recess having a vertical depth substantially greater than the diameter of the cable, the spaced generally horizontal top surface areas and the solid material thereunder defining two support shoulders across which a high tonnage ground-engaging vehicle is placed without deflection or destruction of said shoulders such as would impose vehicle load on the cable in the recess; and

towing means integral with the material comprising the body, the towing means being exposed at and extending from at least one end thereof, the towing means comprising means adapted to receive a tow hook of a vehicle for pulling the crossover along the ground from one installation to another upon removal of the cable.

3. The crossover of claim 2 wherein the towing means comprise a rigid plate bonded to said body and the adapted means comprise an eyelet.

4. The crossover of claim 2 wherein the towing means comprise a chain the ends of which are imbedded within the material comprising said body and the adapted means comprise an exposed central loop in the chain.

5. A ground-engaging portable cable crossover for out-of-doors use with high tonnage earth moving vehicles comprising:

a body of molded synthetic resinous material;

said body comprising;

front and back edges;

front and back tapered ramps, each extending from one edge toward the center of the crossover and defining an essentially flat bottom surface, an angular top surface and a solid interior between said bottom and top surfaces;

a central solid portion integral with each tapered ramp and bridging therebetween comprising a central bottom surface linearly connecting the two ramp botTom surfaces thereby creating a continuous essentially horizontal crossover bottom surface and spaced top shoulders respectively joined to the angular top ramp surfaces and a U-shaped recess the surface of which connects one top shoulder to the other, the U-shaped recess running the full length of the crossover for receiving an electrical cable at the bottom thereof, said recess having a vertical depth substantially greater than the diameter of the cable, the spaced top shoulder and the solid material thereunder withstanding the load of a high tonnage ground-engaging vehicle when displaced across the crossover without deflection of said shoulders such as would impose vehicle load on the cable in the recess;

an elastomeric insert firmly but removably located in said recess above said cable and running substantially the full length of the crossover whereby debris is excluded from the recess during use, said insert having (a) a depth not in excess of the depth of the recess less the diameter of said cable, (b) and essentially uniform width equal to or slightly greater than the width of the recess and (c) a smooth top flush with or below the elevation of said top shoulder surfaces.