Narrow ditch trencher

• US 4,326,347 A
• Filed: 01/29/1981
• Issued: 04/27/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul V. Ballinger
• Original Assignee: Paul V. Ballinger
• Inventors: Ballinger, Paul V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, E. H.
• Application Number:
  US06/229,741
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 37/94-97, 37/189-190, 37/DIG. 2, 37/89, 37/91-93, 37/80 R, 37/142.5, 37/142 R, 37/70, 405/180, 405/182, 405/183, 405/154, 405/157, 405/159, 405/161, 405/174, 405/177, 405/178, 198/703, 198/705
• US Class Current: 37/94
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/246 drives
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 3/248 Cleaning the wheels or emptying the digging elements mounted on the wheels, e.g. in combination with spoil removing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/08 with digging wheels turning round an axis E02F5/109 takes precedence; with digging wheels per se E02F3/18
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2866 for rotating digging elements for milling machines B28D1/186; for mining machines E21C35/18
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 37/901 Bucket cleaners

Abstract

A trencher for escavating narrow channels in soil comprises a power driven wheel rotating about a transverse, horizontal axis and a plurality of buckets disposed about its periphery. The wheel includes a pair of circular gear racks disposed inwardly from its periphery and symmetrically about the vertical midplane of the wheel. A pair of pinions, engaging the pair of racks, symmetrically applies driving energy to the wheel. Each of the buckets comprises an arcuate cutter face and undercut, arcuate, longitudinal body portion which is secured to the wheel by a flat spoke extending radially outwardly from the vertical midplane of the wheel. The trencher also includes two pairs of arms disposed on opposite sides of the wheel and bucket spokes. As the wheel and buckets rotate, soil is engaged, lifted above ground level and emptied from the buckets by the pairs of arms. Trenches for plastic drain pipe, for example, as deep as six feet and no wider than one foot may be dug by the trencher of the instant invention at speeds as great as forty feet per minute.

Claims

1. A narrow ditch trencher comprising, in combination,

a rigid frame,

a trenching wheel supported for rotation about a horizontal axis,

means intermediate said frame and said trenching wheel for supporting said wheel for rotation about said axis,

a plurality of bucket assemblies disposed about said trenching wheel, said bucket assemblies having a radially extending spoke rigidly secured to said trenching wheel, and a curved plate rigidly secured to said spoke, said curved plate having side edges spaced from said trenching wheel and said spoke, said curved plate having a trailing portion disposed substantially tangentially to said axis and a leading portion disposed at an angle to said tangential trailing portion,

a pair of circular gear racks secured to said trenching wheel,

an annulus disposed on said trenching wheel intermediate said bucket assemblies and said gear racks and having a width approximately equal to the width of said curved plates,

generally planar spaced-apart sidewall members disposed within the lower portion of said trenching wheel, said sidewall members having curved marginal edges extending radially outwardly at least as far as said circular gear racks, and

a pair of spoil removal arms secured to said rigid frame and having spoil removing ends disposed adjacent said trenching wheel at distinct circumferential positions,

whereby rotation of said trenching wheel engages and lifts soil from below ground level.

2. The narrow ditch trencher of claim 1 wherein said trenching wheel defines a vertical reference midplane and said radially extending bucket spokes are disposed substantially coincident with said midplane.

3. The narrow ditch trencher of claim 1 wherein at least one of said bucket assemblies includes at least two spaced-apart cutter teeth disposed on said leading portion.

4. The narrow ditch trencher of claim 1 wherein said wheel supporting means includes at least one stub shaft defining an axis, said axis parallel to and spaced from said horizontal axis, a roller rotatably disposed on said stub shaft, a pair of spaced-apart plates secured to said shaft and disposed adjacent said frame, means for translating said plates, stub shaft and roller relative to said frame along a substantially radial axis, and means for selectively securing said plates to said frame.

5. The trenching wheel of claim 1 wherein said ends of said spoil removal arms are disposed adjacent said annulus on said trenching wheel.

6. The trenching wheel of claim 1 further including a second pair of resilient spoil removal arms, pivot means for securing each of said second pair of arms to said frame, and spring means operably disposed between each of said second pair of arms and said frame.

7. A narrow ditch trencher comprising, in combination,

a rigid frame,

a trenching wheel supported for rotation about a horizontal axis by said frame,

a plurality of bucket assemblies disposed about said trenching wheel, said bucket assemblies including a radially extending spoke member rigidly secured to said trenching wheel and a curved plate rigidly secured to said spoke, said curved plate having side edges spaced from said trenching wheel and a first region disposed substantially tangentially to the axis of said trenching wheel and a second region disposed adjacent said first region and at an angle thereto, said second region having a leading edge disposed at a radially greater distance from the axis of said trenching wheel than a trailing edge of said first region,

a pair of circular gear racks secured to said trenching wheel,

an annulus secured to said trenching wheel intermediate said bucket assemblies and said gear racks and extending axially outwardly from said wheel,

generally planar spaced-apart sidewall members disposed within the lower portion of said trenching wheel, said sidewall members having curved marginal edges extending radially outwardly at least as far as said circular gear racks,

at least one pair of spoil removal arms secured to said rigid frame, each of said pair of arms terminating in an edge means for removing spoil from said trenching wheel and disposed at distinct, circumferentially nonaligned positions adjacent said trenching wheel and

at least a second pair of spoil removal arms, pivot means for securing each of said second pair of arms to said frame and spring means operably disposed between each of said arms of said second pair of arms for providing a biasing force thereto.

8. The narrow ditch trencher of claim 7 further including means for positioning a pipe within a trench, and a plurality of locking mechanisms interposed said just recited means and said frame for selectively coupling and freeing said just recited means to and from said frame, said locking mechanisms including a shaft, a U-shaped locking collar rotatably disposed upon said shaft and a shaft engaging hook whereby said hook may be retained upon said shaft by rotation of said locking collar.

9. The narrow ditch trencher of claim 7 wherein said sidewall members are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the width of said curved plates of said bucket assemblies.

10. A narrow ditch trencher comprising, in combination,

a rigid frame,

a trenching wheel defining a vertical reference midplane and having a pair of circular gear racks symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of said midplane,

drive pinion means for engaging said circular gear racks,

at least one adjustable roller means intermediate said trenching wheel and said frame for rotatably supporting said trenching wheel for rotation about a horizontal axis including means for supporting said roller means, means for translating said supporting means along a substantially radial axis and means for selectively securing said supporting means to said rigid frame,

a plurality of bucket assemblies disposed about said trenching wheel, said bucket assemblies having a radially extending spoke rigidly secured to said trenching wheel, and a curved plate rigidly secured to said spoke, said curved plate having side edges spaced from said trenching wheel and said spoke, said curved plate having a trailing portion disposed substantially tangentially to said axis and a leading portion disposed at an angle to said tangential trailing portion,

an annulus secured to said trenching wheel intermediate said bucket assemblies and said circular gear racks and oriented symmetrically about said midplane and concentrically about said axis, said annulus having a width substantially equal to said curved plate of said bucket assemblies,

means secured to said frame for removing spoil from said bucket plates and said spokes including at least one pair of circumferentially non-aligned blades disposed adjacent said spokes, and

a frame insert secured to said frame and disposed within a portion of said trenching wheel, said frame insert having substantially parallel vertical sides extending radially outwardly at least as far as said gear racks and width substantially equal to the width of said curved plates.