Method of padding pipe

• US 4,057,917 A
• Filed: 03/30/1976
• Issued: 11/15/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norman B. Burrows
• Original Assignee: Norman B. Burrows
• Inventors: Burrows, Norman B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, E. H.
• Application Number:
  US05/672,023
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 37/7, 37/8, 37/142.5, 37/189, 37/195, 111/6, 111/7, 214/83.3, 214/83.36, 214/44 A, 214/302, 214/518, 214/519, 61/35, 61/36, 61/37, 61/63, 61/105, 61/107
• US Class Current: 37/195
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/64 Buckets cars, i.e. having scraper bowls for cable scrapers E02F3/54 takes precedence; soil working machines in agriculture A01B
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/6445 with conveying means for emptying the scraper bowl
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/659 Conveying means for emptying scraper bowls conveying equipment for excavators in general E02F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/223 for back-filling in association with trench excavators E02F5/12

Abstract

A machine for distributing padding material within a previously dug ditch so that a pipe placed within the ditch is protected from objectional objects which may otherwise cause damage thereto.

The padding machine comprises an earth moving vehicle having a laterally arranged conveyor means connected thereto, so that padding material can be transported laterally away from the vehicle and into a ditch while the machine travels along a parallel path respective to the ditch.

Claims

1. A method of placing padding material within a previously dug ditch comprising the steps of:

mounting a container and a lateral conveyor onto an earth bound vehicle;

placing padding material within said container

moving said vehicle along a path of travel which is spaced from, adjacent to, and parallel to said ditch;

forming an outlet within said container and forcing said padding material contained within said container to move through said outlet;

forcing padding material to flow through said outlet by moving opposed walls of said container toward one another so that any padding material contained therebetween is forced to move towards and through said outlet;

receiving material which flows through said outlet by said lateral conveyor;

conveying padding material laterally away from said outlet and into said ditch, thereby uniformly placing padding material within said ditch.

2. The method of claim 1 and further including the step of forming said outlet in a lower extremity of said container and positioning said conveyor therebelow so that the padding material is forced from said container, through said outlet, onto said conveyor, where the padding material is then transported to a position overlying said ditch, whereupon the padding material flows from the conveyor and into the ditch by gravity.

4. The method of claim 1 and further including the steps of removably mounting said conveyor respective to said container so that the conveyor can be removed from the container when it is desired to reduce the effective width of the apparatus.

5. The method of claim 4 and further including the steps of folding said conveyor at a location along its length to thereby effectively reduce the overall width of the apparatus for transportation purposes.

6. The method of claim 1 and further including the following steps:

forming said outlet by the provision of a movable wall which moves respective to the container, so that a variable opening is provided for regulating the flow of padding material therethrough; and

, adjusting the speed with which the conveyor moves padding material deposited thereon so that the rate with which padding material is discharged from the container into the ditch can be regulated to uniformly place the padding material within the ditch, and to enable the rate of discharge of padding material to be consistent with the speed of the vehicle as it travels along the length of the ditch.

3. The method of claim 15 and further including the step of forming said container into an upwardly opening enclosure so that padding material can be charged into said container through the opening.

7. Method of placing padding material within a previously dug ditch comprising the steps of:

mounting a container upon a vehicle and moving the vehicle along the surface of the ground in spaced, elevated relation respective to said ditch and in a direction parallel to the length of said previously dug ditch;

forming an outlet in said container through which padding material can flow by moving a wall of said container respective to the bottom thereof thereby forming a variable outlet between the wall and bottom;

storing padding material within said container;

forcing padding material to flow from the interior of said container and through said outlet by moving opposed walls of said container toward one another so that any padding material contained therebetween is forced to move towards and through said outlet;

placing a conveyor in underlying relationship respective to said outlet and arranging the conveyor to transport padding material in a direction normal to the length of said ditch; and

, extending said conveyor into an overlying position respective to said ditch so that padding material is forced from said container, through said outlet, and onto said conveyor, where the conveyor transfers the padding material into overlying relationship respective to the ditch and thereby deposits padding material within the ditch.

8. Method of distributing padding material within a previously dug ditch, comprising the steps of:

filling a container with padding material;

moving said container along a path which is spaced from, parallel, and adjacent to said previously dug ditch;

forming an outlet in the lower extremity of said container by moving one of the walls which forms the container respective to the bottom of the container thereby forming a variable outlet between the last said wall and the floor;

forcing padding material towards said outlet by moving opposed walls which form the container toward each other so that any padding material contained therewithin is forced through said outlet;

whereby said one of said opposed walls can be raised to increase the area of said outlet while the remaining of said opposed walls can be forced toward said movable wall to thereby force any padding material contained within said container through said outlet;

placing a conveyor laterally of said path of travel and extending said conveyor until the outlet thereof is positioned to discharge padding material into said ditch;

conveying padding material with said conveyor away from said outlet and laterally away from said container and into said ditch.

9. The method of claim 8 and further including the steps of:

detachably mounting said conveyor in underlying relationship respective to said outlet so that said conveyor can be removed to thereby effectively reduce the width of the apparatus.

10. Method of distributing padding material within a previously dug ditch comprising the steps of:

storing padding material in an upwardly opening container;

supporting said container from a ground supported vehicle and moving the vehicle alongside and parallel to the ditch;

forming an outlet in said container and forcing padding material from said container and through said outlet by moving opposed walls which form the container toward each other so that any padding material contained therewithin is forced through said outlet;

forming said outlet by moving one of said opposed walls respective to the bottom of the container thereby forming a variable outlet between said wall and floor, whereby said one of said opposed walls can be raised to increase the area of said outlet while the remaining of said opposed walls can be forced toward said movable wall to thereby force any padding material contained within said container through said outlet;

forcing a continuous flow of padding material from the interior of the container and through said outlet;

mounting a conveyor means in underlying relationship respective to said outlet and extending the conveyor means laterally away from the path of travel of the vehicle with the discharge end of the conveyor being arranged such that padding material exiting therefrom gravitates into said previously dug ditch;

adjusting the speed with which the conveyor transports material from said outlet, and adjusting the size of said outlet, so that the rate of discharge of padding material into the ditch can be regulated respective to the speed of the vehicle as it travels alongside the ditch to thereby enable a uniform and predetermined amount of padding material to be placed within the ditch.